Ice Dragon
by BarborkaZ
Summary: Everyone in Westeros know who Jon's parents are. He is raised in Winterfell along his cousins while the usurper sits on his father's throne. RLJ
1. Blue Rose

Hi, everyone.

This is the first story I decided to publish, so PLEASE be good to me :-).

I have spent many years on this site while I was writing my own stories but I never had the guts to publish anything. Until now. (Hope it won't be a complete fiasco. :-))

Just a little** WARNING** \- **English is not my native language**. I'm sure there'll be mistakes but I hope it won't be THAT bad :-) ... And I don't have a Beta, so please tell me if my story sucks :-) just don't be to harsh :-). THANK YOU.

CHAPTER 1 - BLUE ROSE

Only three men stood between them. They all had swords in their hands and were the best fighters that Seven Kingdoms has ever seen. Gods themselves could stand there, old and new and it wouldn't matter to him. Ned has lost a father and a brother and he spent over a year in the heat of war. All that for his sister. Nothing will stop him now. He will fight his way over to her, take her into his arms and they'll both return to Winterfell together. Let Robert Baratheon and rest of the South burn in their seven hells. They will be home and all will be well again but for now he and his men must kill three brothers of Kings Guard. Ned knew he exchanged words with them before their swords were drawn but that was of little consequence. The only thing that mattered was her. Lyanna needed him and he would kill every man standing between them.

He fought ser Arthur Dayne, the sword of the morning. If he'd be able to think straight he would probably be scared. Their swords clenched together, one from Valyrian steel and the other forged from a falling star, Ice and Dawn. They danced around each other and their swords sang a song every time they touched. Ned noticed that one white cloak and some of his friends were lying on a ground. Dead or alive, Ned didn't know and ser Arthur didn't give him enough time between strikes to find out.

He was watching his opponent same as a wolf watches its prey, waiting for his next move, when they heard a heartbreaking cry from the tower before them. The fighting ceased and everyone raised their eyes towards the tower as if they were told to do so.

"Lyanna," Ned screamed and started running towards entrance.

"Ned," Howland called behind him but when he tried to follow his friend and lord, ser Gerold Hightower stepped in his way.

"Ser Arthur, get him," he ordered his brother. There were only three northern men left, he could handle that much.

Arthur nodded and followed Ned, who was frantically running through the Tower of joy screaming his sisters' name.

Lyanna wasn't hard to find, considering there was one cry after another from her room. He was in the middle of the stairs that led to her room when he heard one last cry. He kicked the door open and froze where he stood.

"Is this a way to enter a lady's chambers, brother?" she asked tiredly with tears in her eyes. He couldn't answer, the picture that lay before him was too much for him. "There, there, my darling. You do not have to be afraid anymore, your uncle is here," she whispered to the newly born babe in her arms and kissed its forehead.

Ned knew ser Arthur stood behind him, still holding Dawn in his hand just as Ned still held Ice. He was aware that there was also another woman next to Lyanna's bed but he couldn't care less. She was here, right in front of him. His sweetest little sister, the sun that had made this world a better place. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer and dropped Ice to the ground without even realizing it. He walked to her slowly and fell on his knees right next to the bed she lay on.

"Lya," he whispered tearfully, taking her hand in his.

"My dearest, sweetest Ned," she smiled, while tears fell down her cheeks. "I am so sorry, brother, please forgive me," she managed to say.

"Shh, sweet sister, all will be well, do not fear," he said, rising from his knees to sit on a bed beside her. "Boy or a girl?" he asked, stroking the child's cheek.

Lyanna smiled proudly. "His name is Jon."

Ned returned her smile. "He is beautiful."

"He is, isn't he?" she laughed weakly. "He looks just like his father."

"He has your eyes, though," replied Ned.

Lyanna started to cry even more. "I loved him."

"I know," answered Ned, smiling a little and stroking her hair.

"I killed them," she whispered so quietly that Ned was almost certain he wasn't supposed to hear her.

"That's not true, Lya," he said strongly. "The Mad King killed them."

"Because of me," she sobbed. "I never meant to… I just wanted… I am so sorry…"

Ned pulled her and her son into his embrace while she mumbled incoherently. She calmed down a little after a while. "You must keep him safe, Ned. We have heard what happened in Kings Landing, all of Dorne talks of nothing else. You cannot let my son to share that fate."

"Of course not, Lya. We'll return to Winterfell and we'll protect him together."

Lyanna smiled sadly. "You will have to do that on your own, I am afraid." Ned looked completely bewildered. "I will soon follow father and Brandon… and Rhaegar."

Ned felt as if someone just banged an axe over his head a hundred times over. "What do you mean?" She hasn't said anything but looked at the grey blanket that covered her. Ned followed her gaze and after a deep breath, he raised the blanket. It took all the strength he had not to scream at the pool of blood his sister was lying in.

He smelled the blood as soon as he entered her room but he assumed that the blood was his and not hers.

"You're… you… you're going to be alright, sister. This… this is absolutely normal, right?" He looked into her eyes, silently begging her to say yes. A little shake of her head filled his eyes with tears. "You are not going to die, Lyanna, you hear me?" he sobbed a little. "I forbid you to die."

Lyanna laughed humorlessly. "When have I ever did what any of you told me to?" she asked him and for a moment, Ned saw a spark of mischief in her grey eyes again. For one last time.

Ned was blinking rapidly to prevent the tears forming in his eyes from falling down. Lyanna didn't even try to stop hers. She clenched her newborn son to her while holding her brother's hand in hers.

"Don't leave me, Lya, please… not you, not you," he cried. He never felt so hopeless, so weak, so broken. "I beg of you, stay with me." He was sobbing openly now, not caring about anything else than the woman in front of him who was a center of his universe for as long as he could remember.

"Promise me you will keep him safe."

"No, no. You are going to do that."

"Ned, please, promise me you will keep him safe," she said desperately, cupping his cheek. "Promise me, Ned. Promise me."

"I promise," he managed to say after a while.

As soon as he spoke those words Lyanna obviously relaxed. She stroked the silver hair on her son's head and then kissed him on his forehead. "Fear not, my little one. Your uncle will protect you, raise you, and love you. There is not a single person in all of Westeros and Essos I would trust more than him, my son. And I know you will love him just as much as I do."

Ned saw she had trouble to keep her eyes open but she used all her strength to stay with them just a little bit longer. He was holding her hand, kissing it and sobbing into it, clinging to her every breath. Under any other circumstances he would never allow himself to be so vulnerable but this was Lyanna. Everything was always different when his little sister was concerned. Her hand felt colder in his grasp and she barely managed to look at him but she smiled anyway.

"Tell me of your new wife, brother."

"She, ehm… she is very beautiful and very polite… I, uh… do not know her all that well… but she's expecting my child… it is possible she had already given birth."

Lyanna's smile even widened, Ned couldn't comprehend how she did that. He was sure his ability to smile and laugh is dying with her.

She was still smiling when she closed her eyes, when her fickle breath ceased, when her son started a heartbreaking cry as if he knew what just happened. She was still smiling when her sobbing brother rocked her dead body, begging her to come back.


	2. Awakening

Hi, everyone.

This is the first story I decided to publish, so PLEASE be good to me :-).

I have spent many years on this site while I was writing my own stories but I never had the guts to publish anything. Until now. (Hope it won't be a complete fiasco. :-))

Just a little** WARNING** \- **English is not my native language**. I'm sure there'll be mistakes but I hope it won't be THAT bad :-) ... And I don't have a Beta, so please tell me if my story sucks :-) just don't be to harsh :-). THANK YOU.

CHAPTER 2 - AWAKENING

He didn't know how long he held her in his arms nor how many times he has asked to her to come back to him. He didn't even know that all the men who fought each other not a minute ago were all standing in a doorway unsure of what to do. Howland came closer to him a put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It all seemed like an eternity.

"We have company," someone said. Ned didn't care.

"Who is it?" asked another. Ned didn't care.

"Let's go meet them," proposed someone else. Ned didn't care.

Howland squeezed his shoulder one more time and with that they were all gone from the room. Ned still didn't care.

He heard sounds of battle outside of the tower and even in the tower but he still couldn't bring himself to care. It was Roberts booming voice calling 'Lyanna' that finally woke him up. Ned slowly laid Lyanna's body back on a bed and carefully took his nephew from her and looked at the midwife that brought him to this world.

"Take care of him," he ordered and handed her the child. "If anything happens to him, _anything_, I will spend years teaching you the meaning of pain. Do we understand each other?" The midwife nodded but didn't seem impressed by his words. _You're a wolf that always shows his fangs but never bites_, Lyanna used to tell him.

The door slammed open and there was Robert Baratheon. He saw Ned first, the midwife was hidden behind him. As soon as he laid his eyes on Lyanna he fell to his knees, just as Ned not so long before him, and screamed. He crawled towards Lyanna's dead body and Ned's first thought was if he also looked so pitiful when he clenched to her as if his life depended on it.

He knew what Robert will do as soon as he realizes that Lyanna died of childbirth. What he will _try_ to do. Ned will protect his nephew just as he has promised.

He touched his belt to have Ice prepared; only to realize he didn't have it on him. His sword was still lying on a ground near the door.

"Go hide, NOW!" he commanded the midwife and went to collect his father's sword.

Robert turned to look at his friend but his eyes settled on the woman behind him and the little bulge of blankets she was holding.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded in his kingly voice.

The midwife took few steps back and held the baby tighter.

"Robert lets settle this outside. I will not disturb my sister's rest," he said in the lordliest voice he could manage.

"Whose child is that?" Robert shrieked. He has yet to see the boy's silver hair.

Ned still heard the men fighting. "Why are your men fighting mine?"

"Because they denied us entrance to the tower," growled Robert. "Ned, whose child is that woman holding?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Ned growled back.

Robert looked at the midwife. "Hand it over."

"You really think I will let you anywhere near him after what happened in Kings Landing?"

Robert gave him an angry look. "Gregor Clegane is locked in the Black Cells and he will be given to the Martells as compensation. I had nothing to do with it and you know it."

"It's what you did; or rather did not do after that I find hard to forgive."

"What I did or did not do does not matter, friend. Let's get rid of the dragonspawn once and for all," he said a bit fanatically.

Ned pointed Ice at his childhood friend. "This is my sister's son and you will not touch him, I guarantee you that, old friend."

Robert watched him as if he couldn't believe he is pointing his sword at his chest. "I merely want to avenge Lyanna."

"By killing her son," Ned asked incredulously.

"By killing ALL Targaryens," Robert retorted. "This child is nothing more than a product of rape," he yelled. "You want to protect the living reminder of what Rhaegar Targaryen did to your sister?"

"You know nothing," Ned yelled back. "House Stark and the entire North protect this boy. King or not, you will not get your hands on him, Robert."

Robert drew his sword. "I suppose I will have to take him by force, then."


	3. Retreat

Hi, everyone.

This is the first story I decided to publish, so PLEASE be good to me :-).

I have spent many years on this site while I was writing my own stories but I never had the guts to publish anything. Until now. (Hope it won't be a complete fiasco. :-))

Just a little** WARNING** \- **English is not my native language**. I'm sure there'll be mistakes but I hope it won't be THAT bad :-) ... And I don't have a Beta, so please tell me if my story sucks :-) just don't be to harsh :-). THANK YOU.

CHAPTER 3 - RETREAT

Three of Ned's men had fallen before he even got into the Tower of Joy, same as ser Oswald of the Kingsguard but as soon as he and ser Arthur Dayne ran inside the tower, the others followed them, gradually. They ceased to fight as soon as they realized what was happening in the room of Lady Lyanna. King Robert had arrived not long after with eight companions at the Tower of Joy where he met six men who were all ready to defend the infant son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark.

Ned was absorbed into his fight with Robert, trying to remember every move the newly appointed king always did when they used to train sword fighting in the Eyrie. Robert always bested him when they were still boys. That wasn't an option now. Ned had to win no matter what.

"We need to retreat," he heard Howland's scream. Oh, how he wished they could. The midwife was crouching in the corner of the room with little Jon pressed tightly against her chest, shrieking worse than the child in her arms.

Ser Arthur Dayne came running into the room just as Robert cut Ned's left shoulder with his sword. Ned screamed in pain but managed to stay on his feet. He dropped Ice to the floor once more but was able to quickly pull off his dagger and hit Robert in the head with its hilt. Robert blacked out from the strike.

"You're a quite impressive fighter, Stark. I'll give you that."

Ned held his bleeding shoulder with pained expression. "Had he had his war hammer I would be meeting the gods right now. I do not think that is a mark of a skilled fighter."

"Yet you're alive and conscious. He's not," Arthur nodded towards the king. "I almost want to kill him as he lays here for what he did."

"I fought on his side not so long ago," Ned pointed out.

Ser Arthur narrowed his eyes a little when he looked at Ned but didn´t say anything. He went to the midwife and took the crying child from her.

"I'll take him," Ned said.

"You think I would hurt him?" Ser Arthur growled. "I just killed two of Robert's men to defend this boy."

"It's not that," sighed Ned still holding his throbbing shoulder. "I need you to carry my sister."

"Are you mad, Lord Stark? I know you do not want to leave her behind and gods know me neither but we must leave with our lives before Robert's army comes looking for him."

"I am not leaving her, ser Arthur. Will you help me or do I need to fetch some of my men?"

Ser Arthur sighed a little but handed him his nephew and went to the large bed to take Lyanna's body.

They got outside where the remaining men still fought each other. Ned has arrived with six men to the Tower of Joy, now only two of them still stood, same as only ser Arthur survived from the three Kingsguard.

"Get to the horses," Ned ordered them. Their retreat was a complete blur in Ned's mind when he later tried to recall it but they eventually managed to get on their horses and run for their lives to get as far as they possibly could from Robert and his men.

They were all injured during the fight. Some wounds were minor, some more serious but all needed to be tended, so they weren't able to get as far from the Tower of Joy as they would have liked when they were forced to dismount their horses.

"We should be safe here for a while," said Howland when they all fell to the ground at the edge of a mountain, exhausted. "With any luck, we'll be back at Winterfell before anyone even realizes we were here."

"We need to get on a ship," said ser Arthur Dayne.

"Why? We have fine horses; we can ride north from here," asked Willam.

"Robert arrived with only a handful of men to the tower but he surely has more of them here somewhere, we cannot risk being discovered," answered Ned.

"Where's your army, Stark?" asked Arthur.

"I send them to march back North right after we lifted the siege at Storm's End."

"That probably wasn't the best course of action," said Howland.

"How should've we know that we're going to need them in the end?" replied Willam.

"Well it doesn't matter now. We do need a ship, though. That's the only way out of Dorne for us," said ser Arthur.

"And how do you suppose we do that? I don't know where you have been these past months but the Dornishmen are not very likely to aid us since they all sulk about the fact that Rhaegar has left their princess for our Lady Lyanna," retorted Willam Dustin.

"I am a dornishman and I assure you, I am not sulking about anything," said ser Arthur in a mocking voice.

"Well, do _you_ have a ship that can get us north?" retorted Howland.

"My sister and brother are in Starfall. It's not so far from here and the sea is not far from there."

"Will they be willing to help us?"

"I don't know if you recall, Stark, but my sister has a rather soft spot for northern men," laughed Arthur a little.

Ned blushed a bit at that comment. "We'll head for Starfall, then."

Author's note:

Just so you know, I don't want to have a certain day when I publish new chapters. I write only for fun and sometimes I am able to write like ten hours straight and sometimes I can't even think of one sentence. I just finished fifth chapter but I would like to be always at least two chapters ahead to have something to publish if I was to busy at school or to have more time to figure out what I should do next with the story.

ANYWAY, I thank you again for your support. You really have no idea how much it means to me that you enjoy my story. I hope I won't disappoint you :-).


	4. Starfall

Hi, everyone.

This is the first story I decided to publish, so PLEASE be good to me :-).

I have spent many years on this site while I was writing my own stories but I never had the guts to publish anything. Until now. (Hope it won't be a complete fiasco. :-))

Just a little** WARNING** \- **English is not my native language**. I'm sure there'll be mistakes but I hope it won't be THAT bad :-) ... And I don't have a Beta, so please tell me if my story sucks :-) just don't be to harsh :-). THANK YOU.

CHAPTER 4 - STARFALL

They managed to reach Starfall at record time, considering they travelled with a newborn child, midwife and a dead body of the daughter of Winterfell. Ned spent the entire journey looking behind his shoulder to reassure himself they were not followed. He was certain Robert's men are already searching throughout Dorne to find them. Ned wasn't sure what would happen if they were found. He would kill Jon, without a doubt. His obsession with dead dragons was quite consuming as Ned had observed. He would have to kill Ned as well of course, for defying the crown but what of Howland, Willam and ser Arthur? What of his wife and child in Riverrun? What of his little brother back in Winterfell?

"Are you alright?" Howland asked him when they were near the gate.

"Aye, I'm alright," Ned said. "Just deep in thought."

Ser Arthur was quite ahead of them, waiting for them to catch up with him by the gate. Willam Dustin nodded towards him. "I don't trust him, Ned. Can we truly just walk in their castle and ask for help?"

"What's wrong with that? We have their brother on our side. Why wouldn't they help us?" replied Howland.

"We know nothing of them and yet we are marching there with our lord and son of our lady."

"What other choice do we have? Besides, we know _her_ a little bit. Ned was quite intrigued with her at Harrenhal," Howland laughed.

Ned gave him a hard look and Howland's smile died on his lips.

"I am just trying to point out that they are unlikely to hurt us even if they refuse to help," he said, feeling uncomfortable under Ned's stare.

"Alright," continued Willam. "You know Ashara Dayne but still, how do we know we can trust her brother? How do we know we can trust any of them?"

"He was prepared to die for my nephew," Ned said. "That is good enough for me."

"Aye, perhaps he is willing to die for him but what about you? You're our lord now and way too many wolves have passed recently."

"I am well aware of that fact, Willam," growled Ned.

They entered the castle only to immediately face the Lord of Starfall and his younger sister Ashara Dayne. They didn't seem very pleased to see them. Well not until they noticed Arthur dismounting his steed. He adjusted his white cloak and went to greet his siblings with a wide smile on his face. Ashara jumped in his arms and Arthur enthusiastically spun her around, her laughter filled the entire square of the castle. Ned remembered him and Lyanna acting the exact same way whenever they saw each other after even a while of separation. The thought made him feel even sicker than he already did. Lyanna will never again jump in his arms to welcome him home.

"Sister, you remember Eddard Stark of Winterfell?" Arthur said and his sister nodded, giving Ned her hand to kiss it. He took it as gracefully as he could manage after their exhausting ride and mumbled 'my lady'.

"I believe it is _Lord_ Eddard Stark of Winterfell now, Arthur," said his brother. "Lord Aaron Dayne, Lord Stark. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he bowed his head a little.

Ned followed his example. "Likewise, my lord."

"You must be tired from you journey, my friends. Our servants will lead you to our guest quarters where you can bathe, eat and drink. I will also send the maester to examine you if you wish."

"You are very kind, lord Dayne, thank you," Ned replied and followed the servants of house Dayne into the castle with his friends. He looked over his shoulder only to see ser Arthur in a heated discussion with his siblings and he prayed to all the gods that ser Arthur would show as trustworthy and knightly as the Seven Kingdoms painted him to be.

The quarters felt like a paradise to Ned. He hadn´t bathe, eaten or drank wine in such a long time that it almost felt unnatural to do those things. And by all the gods, the bed was a heaven on earth. He could count on one hand how many times he has slept in an actual bed for the last year - he never fancied himself some spoiled little lordling as some so 'affectionately' called him but a man does get tired of ground being his mattress instead of soft and warm furs.

He had a lot on his mind and his thoughts refused to leave him, no matter how hard he tried to forget them. He lay on the bed and despite the weariness he felt, he wasn´t able to fall asleep. Not that he wanted to.

Howland and Willam were snoring louder than a bear by the time ser Arthur came quietly into the room and gestured for Ned to follow him on a balcony.

"It seems your friends are more than comfortable here," he laughed a little.

"A warm bed seems to precede any doubt or worry you may have," Ned said gravely.

"Then why aren't _you_ asleep?"

"My doubts and worries are more tempting for my mind than sleep these days."

"My brother asked if he should cremate Lyanna's body. We cannot carry her body all the way to Winterfell."

Ned closed his eyes to compose himself before answering. "You are right, ser Arthur. I would be grateful if you could arrange that. And also a wet nurse for the boy, I don't think the midwife is truly up to the task."

Ser Arthur nodded in agreement.

"My brother is finding us ship with reliable crew as we speak. We can leave in the morrow or the next day. It all depends on what maester will say of your shoulder and your friend's injuries."

"He will let us go just like that?"

"What did you think, Stark?" Arthur laughed. "That he will keep you here in prison and sell you to the highest bidder?"

"I wouldn't put it quite like that but I did expect it would take more convincing."

"Aaron trusts my judgment and thankfully for you, my opinion of you is high, Stark."

Ned looked questioningly at him. He didn't know what he did to deserve a respect from the Sword of the Morning but he was glad it was so. He sure held ser Arthur in high regard.

"Don't you want to stay here? In your home? With your family?" Ned asked.

Ser Arthur smiled sadly. "I gave up my home the second I said my vows."

"Well, you can return now. There are no more Targaryens on the Iron Throne. Nothing holds you back anymore."

Arthur gave him an unbelieving look. "My honor holds me back. My vows hold me back. My duty holds me back. No man can strip the white cloak I so proudly wear while he still breathes. I pledged my life to my king and his heirs and the only heir left is here now. I am no fool, my lord; I know the safest place for him to be right now is under your protection in Winterfell, otherwise I would never let you take him there. But where he goes, I go. And even if I could forget my vows, I would go with you still. I promised to my prince and friend I would protect the woman he so loved and the child they created together. I failed to save her but I will not fail with the boy."

Ned was truly impressed by ser Arthur's speech. "The stories of your loyalty and chivalry were not exaggerated, ser Arthur," he smiled a little. "Nor your skills in combat," he added after a while. "I am glad my nephew has someone like you to protect him."

Ser Arthur returned his smile. "Aye, he has a protector and a friend in me but he's going to need parents to guide him in order to be the best he possibly can. Can you provide him that, lord Stark?"

"I hope so."

.

.

**Author's note**: Once again, thank you all for your support :) . I hope you liked the new chapter as well :)


	5. Riverrun

CHAPTER 5 - RIVERRUN

They spent four days in Starfall. His shoulder wound wasn't serious at all in the end even though it looked serious but Willam's leg was far worse. The maester said he would never walk again if it wasn't treated straight away. Ned thought the maester exaggerated a little because Willam was up and about in no time. He didn't want to stay that long because Robert was undoubtedly looking for them everywhere but he also didn't want to endanger his friend's life, so he waited and suffered. Every time he heard something or saw someone he didn't recognize, he was sure it was Robert coming to claim his nephew's life. In the end, he was truly surprised that Robert didn't show up at Starfall, he saw ser Arthur fight alongside them, after all. Surprised but glad, perhaps the gods has decided he deserved a little luck for a change.

"You have my seal?" asked Ned just as they dropped anchor at the harbor.

"Do not worry, friend," Howland assured him. "We'll sail north as soon as you get off the ship and then head straight for Winterfell. No one will stop us in the north."

"But you have my seal in case someone would stop you?"

Howland rolled his eyes. "Aye Ned, I have your seal. Yet I still think I should accompany you."

"Jon needs protection more than me."

"Gods be good, he has his own kingsguard, he will be alright, it's you I'm worried about. What if Robert waits on you in Riverrun?"

"If Robert truly is waiting for me, your presence will not make much difference."

"True," Howland nodded. "But I'd still feel better if I was going with you."

Ned gave his friend a little smile and got off the ship to find a horse that could get him to Riverrun.

-.-

Surprisingly, the journey to Riverrun wasn't much long. He was alone and he could ride as fast as the horse let him. The men guarding the gate to Riverrun recognized him immediately and led him straight to the main hall where he and his men celebrated his new marriage not so long ago. Lord Hoster Tully sat in the highest chair with his brother, the Black fish, to his right and his young son to his left. His two daughters were there as well, same as… Jon Arryn.

"I did not see this coming," Ned said watching Jon.

"No?" he asked a bit angrily. This was not good. Jon rose from his seat and went straight to Ned. "Tell me, my boy, have you lost your mind completely or is there something left in that thick head of yours?"

"I suppose you have heard of what happened at the Tower of Joy."

"Entire realm has heard of what happened at the Tower of Joy, Ned. I expected you to arrive sooner, though. Where were you all this time?"

"We rode for Starfall after the fight to get a ship there but we were forced to stay for a while because of our injuries. I was surprised Robert didn't look for us there."

"He knew you went to Starfall but he supposed you will be long gone when he will arrive there. Also, he couldn't risk a fight with Martell's bannerman after what happened to princess Elia and her children. He returned to King's Landing straight away to call everyone to his side again. He plans to march north to kill the boy and no one can talk him out of it."

"I knew he wouldn't let it go but he will not start another war because of it, surely."

"What other choice does he have? He wants the child dead and you will not oblige voluntarily."

"The realm can hardly endure another war, Jon."

"I know that, my boy and Robert knows it as well but I doubt he cares."

"Perhaps, if we were to find enough allies to outnumber him, Robert would have to stand back," said lord Tully.

"I don't see Robert ever stepping back, the boy is a threat to his rule."

"So you're asking _me_ to step back? To let him murder my sister's son, my own blood?"

"Gods be good, Ned, how long do you me? Do you really think I would ask you to give the boy up?"

Ned felt a sting of shame. Of course Jon would never ask this of him. "So, what am I supposed to do, Jon? How do I prevent another war without endangering my nephew?"

"I do not know," Jon admitted reluctantly.

"We have been trying to solve this problem since the day lord Arryn arrived, Lord Stark," said Brynden Tully. "And we have not come with any idea worth mentioning."

"I apologize for putting you in such a difficult position, to all of you," Ned said.

"There is no need for that, Lord Stark. Gods know I would act the same if I were in your position," admitted the lord of Riverrun.

"So, you will stand with me if the worst should happen?"

"Your father and I have been planning to join our houses for a long time and you are my son by law now. Riverlands will stand with you, Lord Stark."

Ned nodded gratefully to the lord of Riverrun and then looked at Jon who gave him a small smile. "I am here and not in King's Landing, am I not?"

-.-

Ned couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. He probably never was. After all, how many times in life do you get to meet your child for the first time? He didn't have many chances to be nervous when they were on their way to Riverrun. He thought about the wife he barely knew sometimes and his own child but those thoughts were always interrupted by the image of Lyanna or of what Robert might be planning.

Now though, when his wife led him to her chambers where their son slept, he was almost trembling and thought of nothing else.

They entered the room and lady Catelyn silently dismissed her handmaidens with a wave of her hand. There it was; the crib his son slept in. His _son_. Lady Catelyn had given him a son and an heir not even a year after they married.

Those few moments Lyanna got to spend with her son, she looked at him with nothing but unconditional love written in her eyes. Ned didn't comprehend what she must have felt towards Jon until he laid eyes on his own son. He looked in awe on the little person that was a part of him. He had red hair just like his mother and his blue eyes shone more than the brightest sky. If the gods decided to strike him down right where he stood, he would die happy.

"He is so beautiful," he mumbled after what felt like an eternity.

"You are not disappointed he resembles me more than you?" his wife asked softly.

"Disappointed? How could I be disappointed? He is perfect," he replied quietly. His son took his breath away. He turned to his wife and took her hands in his so he could kiss them. "Thank you, my lady. Thank you so much."

Lady Catelyn smiled broadly and let her husband kiss her hands over and over again.

-.-

Jon Arryn left Riverrun the very next day. He send a raven to the Eyrie to inform his bannermen he needed them ready and headed off to King's Landing to try and reason with Robert one more time. Ned also send a raven to Winterfell to inform his brother and his men of what transpired at the Tower of Joy and what will probably follow. He knew people, Benjen most of all, will be devastated by Lyanna's death but he also knew they will want to protect her legacy at all costs. It wouldn't matter to them who the boy's father was; Jon was a Stark and northerners would do everything to protect a Stark, of that he was certain.

Robert and their war will have to wait for now, though. Now, he needed to get his wife and son to safety. Not that they weren't safe in Riverrun but if Robert marched north, Riverrun would be his first obstacle on the way. He didn't even want to think of what would happen to them if the castle fell. His beautiful wife and perfect son…

"Pack faster," he growled. The girls that served as his wife's handmaidens lowered their heads and started to move faster. He must have scared the hell out of them but he didn't care. Catelyn and Robb's safety was his priority.

He still couldn't get rid of the image of princess Elia and her children's dead bodies wrapped in Lannister red cloak. Tywin Lannister denied ever knowing of Gregor Clegane's actions but Ned knew better. He probably didn't authorize such cruelty but their deaths were undoubtedly Tywin Lannister's orders. Robert imprisoned the Mad Dog and his minions in the end but only because of Ned's urging and anger. He heard rumors that Elia's brother, prince Oberyn, was also gathering men to avenge his sister and her children. Wouldn't that be just _wonderful_? The North, Riverlands and the Vale against Stormlands, Westerlands and probably Reach, while Dorne fought them all.

"Please, my lord, you are scaring my maids," Catelyn said with her head also lowered. Was she afraid of him too?

Ned raised her head with his finger so he could look into her eyes. "I apologize, my lady," he said sincerely. "I am only concerned for your safety. I couldn't survive you and Robb sharing the fate of princess Elia and her children."

"Was it that bad?" she asked him, gaining a little confidence.

Ned sat on a bed and looked at the floor. "I keep seeing the image almost every time I close my eyes. It is said that little Rhaenys was hidden under her father's bed when Amory Lorch dragged her out. He stabbed the little girl hundred times over while she cried for her cat."

"He would not do such a thing to a little girl, surely," said Catelyn quietly. Ned raised his eyes to look at her and saw tears in hers.

Ned shook his head. "Forgive me, my lady. I should not tell you such tales. It is only a rumor after all. It was probably exaggerated by Lannisters' enemies."

Catelyn blinked couple of times to get rid of her tears. "No, no. You know it to be true. I swear by all the gods, old and new, I will not allow our son to meet such an end. He will grow into a strong man that will make his father proud. That is our son's future, even if I had to burn in all seven hells for it," she said with fierceness in her voice. _Every mother is a she-wolf when it comes to her pups_, Ned thought fondly.

-.-

"Cercei Lannister will be a queen?" Ned asked disbelievingly.

"That is what it says," answered Hoster Tully and threw a piece of paper on a table before him. "It is the only way Robert can be certain the Lannisters will not betray him."

"And the only way for Tywin Lannister to gain true power once again," added Brynden Tully. "He will undoubtedly be made the Hand of the King for his support."

"Well, we cannot deny the realm was fairing quite well when the Lord of Casterly Rock was a Hand."

"True," admitted Ned. "But with the Lannisters on the throne we can forget about any hope for peace we might have had. I insulted Tywin Lannister and his lot way too gravely."

"He wouldn't support a war on a mere insult."

"You're maybe right about that, brother, but the fact remains that Lord Stark's nephew is a threat to the new king and his heirs, especially his heirs, who will be Tywin Lannister's grandchildren," said the Blackfish. "He will want him dead as much as Robert does."

"We need to gain an upper hand. The Reach swore loyalty to no one so far, we could get them to follow us. If you were to offer them a marriage with your nephew, Lord Stark, they would support us."

"I have no intention of fighting over the Iron throne, Lord Tully; I have told you that already. I care little about who his father was; I merely wish to protect my sister's son. What would I offer them, then? A nephew of the Lord of Winterfell who will not even inherit the North?"

"He is still a dragon."

"A dragon without a throne, Robert _can_ and _will_ offer them much more, if he hadn't already."

"You could offer them more if only you would choose so. You would be a regent, until he'll be of age. Do not tell me you are not tempted at least a little by that prospect."

"I can honestly say I was never repulsed more by anything. Southern lords might ruin their houses for such an opportunity but I am no southern lord."

"You may not want to fight over the Iron throne, but who says the boy also won't when he will be a man grown."

"My main concern here is for my son and nephew to even have a chance to grow into men."

Lord Tully sighed a little. "Ride for Winterfell with my daughter and grandson, then. Get them to the safety of your castle and have your men prepared. We will keep you informed."

Ned nodded. "I will return shortly with an army of wolves at my back."

-.-

**Author's note:** Ok, this one is a bit longer than the previous chapters. I originally intended to make it into two chapters but they would too damn short for my taste, so I put it into one but in result I am only one chapter ahead now but I hope I'll get more stuff soon :). What do YOU think? Should I go on? :)


	6. Winterfell

Well, here we go again :).

I wanted to ask if any of you would want to be my Beta reader. I really want to make this story the best I possibly can and I could use someone to help me a bit :), especially now since I find myself at a bit of a crossroad in which way should I go on :). If anyone would be interested, please PM me :).

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CHAPTER 6 - WINTERFELL

Winterfell looked the same way it always did, but to Ned it seemed rather different. He had a certain image in mind; Winterfell meant home to him as long as he could remember but his home contained his family. Could it still be a home to him after all that has happened?

He experienced a little déjà vu. When he was here for the last time, he arrived only to call his bannermen and rode south straight away and this time he arrived to do the exact same thing. The circumstances were different but result was the same.

There were already hundreds of tents around the castle as his people prepared for yet another war. His brother acted quickly in response to his raven, he had to admit that. At least ten thousand men were already prepared to march south once again, Ned estimated. Benjen awaited them in the main square of the castle with a little smile on his lips. He has grown at least a foot since the last time Ned saw him and started to grow a beard. He actually looked a little bit like their father, thirty years younger, though.

People around them cheered and welcomed them, excited to see their lord and his new family alive and well with their own eyes. Catelyn was smiling shyly, while she held their son in her arms. Ned was a little absent-minded, but when he noticed Howland and Willam standing in the background, his nerves finally settled as he realized they made it safely to Winterfell.

Ned wished to rest after their journey and to show his wife around the castle that is to become her home, but as soon as they entered inside the castle, he was led to the main hall to meet with the northern lords that have already arrived and discuss their situation.

Their meeting was dragged until a middle of a night but the outcome was exactly as Ned has expected. Jon was no Targaryen in their minds, he was a wolf and every man here was ready to ride south again to show Robert Baratheon that no one can endanger a wolf and get away with it. Ned was dead tired and thought he could sleep for a month but he headed not to his chambers but to the nursery. He was surprised to see light shining from under the door. He opened them and saw his lady wife laughing quietly to whatever ser Arthur just said.

He frowned a little. "Good evening."

"Welcome home, Stark," said ser Arthur. He was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room while Lady Catelyn sat near two cribs.

"My lord," she greeted him with a bow of her head.

"I did not expect to find you here at this hour, my lady. Are you not tired from our journey?"

"Indeed I am, my lord, yet I was excited to see my new home and the boy I am to call a nephew."

"I apologize for not being able to give you a tour of the castle myself, my lady."

Catelyn smiled. "That is quite alright, my lord, I understand. The guards have shown me only the most important places and nothing else because I then insisted me and Robb should meet your sister's son. Ser Arthur had kept me company when the boys fell asleep."

"How thoughtful of him."

"Well, your lady wife is certainly more fun than you are, Stark," Arthur laughed. "I told you before, I am not letting any harm come to him, which is why I am staying here. My duty as a kingsguard is to protect the king, day and night. In the Red keep…"

"You are not in the Red Keep and he is not a king, ser Arthur; he is just a regular, newborn boy who will grow up in a castle."

"And yet, there brews a war on his behalf. You may wish him to be only your sister's son but it is not so, Lord Stark. He is a Targaryen, no matter how much you don't want him to be and people will see him as such."

"People will see him as a bastard. His parents were not married when he was born, were they?"

"That is where you are wrong, my lord. Rhaegar and Lyanna were married."

"WHAT?" shrieked Ned and Catelyn at the same time.

"They said their vows in front of a wierwood tree with me and ser Oswald as witnesses. A private ceremony in the Godswood, Lady Lyanna claimed that is how it is done up here in the north."

"Rhaegar already had a wife," said Catelyn unbelievingly.

"Aegon the Conqueror also had two wives, why couldn't Rhaegar?"

"It is wrong in the eyes of the gods," replied Catelyn.

"First marriage was sealed in the light of the Seven and the second before eyes of the Old Gods. Neither less valid than the other. Which means Jon truly is a Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron throne."

"We cannot allow for others to find out," said Ned. "Robert will go completely crazy if he realizes that Lyanna chose Rhaegar voluntarily. He believes she was kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar."

"You want me to let the people of Westeros believe such a lie? Rhaegar was the most honorable and finest man I have ever met; I will not sully his memory so."

"What choice do we have?" said Catelyn. "If people knew he is a rightful Targaryen, half the kingdom would want him on the throne and the other half would want him dead."

"Most importantly, our kingdom would turn into anarchy. Robert's rebellion was justified by the abduction of his fiancée, if people would realize it was all for nothing…"

"Robert may have been sulking and playing at rebellion but the war started only the second king Aerys killed the Lord of Winterfell and his heir, not before. Jon Arryn would never support a war based only on Robert's wounded pride and you would never call your bannermen and march south if your father and brother had lived. Their murder could not go unanswered, everyone knows this. Robert wants Jon dead mostly because he believes him a product of rape of his 'beloved'."

"And if he finds out he is legitimate dragon, he will want him dead because he is a threat to his rule."

"We will end up in a war with Robert Baratheon either way; the only difference will be that the history will not see Rhaegar as some wicked monster who kept pretty ladies in captivity where he could do whatever he wanted to them."

"Alright, and do you realize what will happen in Dorne if they find out about this? They will want to kill him as well to get rid of the living insult to princess Elia."

"Dorne has a strong army but not as strong as you, Lord Stark. They would have to ally with Baratheon in order to march north and I guarantee you, the Martell's will rather see your nephew alive than to ally with Robert and the Lannisters."

Ned sighed heavily. "So, you want to announce to the world that my sister and the dragon prince were married?"

"Only to those who will ask."

-.-

The day before their planned departure held more than few surprises. Right at dawn, Ned received a raven from Jon Arryn, saying he was unsuccessful in trying to convince Robert to lay down his arms. Just as they all expected. He spent almost three weeks in King's Landing, hoping he could still talk the new king out of starting another war and simultaneously giving the North, Riverlands and his own bannermen enough time to prepare. His foster father never gave up easily, a trait both Ned and Robert learned from him.

Ned was in his solar with Howland when they were interrupted by guards who brought a man claiming he had an urgent message for the lord of Winterfell. The man had his cloak over his head so his face could not be seen.

"What is this urgent message you wish to deliver?" asked Howland.

"It is for Lord Stark's ears only," the man replied. Ned narrowed his eyes, he knew that voice.

Howland laugh humorlessly. "You honestly expect you will be left alone with the Warden of the North?"

"Howland," Ned said strictly. "Leave us."

"My lord…"

"Leave us, Lord Reed," Ned repeated.

Howland bowed his head unwillingly and went for the door. "I'll be right outside with the guards, should you need us, Lord Stark."

"I know you," said Ned as soon as the door closed.

The man nodded. "Yes, you know me, Lord Eddard. We have met before though you were not a lord back then, only a lord's son."

"You claimed to have an urgent message, speak it then."

"I would like to ask a question first if you would not mind, my lord." Ned observed him for a while before he gave him a sharp nod. "Are you able to protect Rhaegar's son?"

"Have you come to insult me?"

"Gods forbid, my lord. I genuinely want to know if you have enough resources to protect him."

"You have seen the camps around Winterfell when you arrived, have you not? Twenty thousand northerners have answered my call and each and every one of them is ready to fight for my nephew's life. Does that answer your question?"

"King Robert will have more men."

"So will I. These are only men of the North."

"When at war, every sword counts, wouldn't you agree, Lord Eddard?"

"Does this conversation have a point, good man?"

The man drew his sword. Ned jumped up with his hand ready to draw Ice as well. "I do not wish to cross swords with you, Lord Eddard. I wish to swear my sword to your nephew and to you."

"Who are you?"

The man pulled off his cloak and Ned had a hard time to keep his mouth from falling in surprise. "Ser Barristan?"

He nodded. "You have already accepted one of my brothers to be the little prince's protector; will you do the same for me?"

Ned sat back in his chair. "Truth be told, ser Arthur hadn't really ask my permission."

"That sounds like him," ser Barristan smiled. "I swore to serve and protect the dragons and I will never abandon my vow but circumstances are rather different now than they were before. The wolves protect him now for the dragons no longer can and that is why I am asking_ your_ permission to protect him alongside you."

"It would seem my nephew is truly growing his own kingsguard," Ned said. "I am honored to accept your offer in Jon Targaryen's name, ser Barristan."

-.-

Ser Arthur was more than excited to see his brother. The second he laid his eyes on him, he smiled widely and said he knew he would turn up sooner or later. Last time Ned heard about ser Barristan, was during the rebellion when Robert announced him that he has him in chains right after the battle at the Trident. Robert even pardoned him but the knight refused to join with him even at the cost of his own freedom. Ser Barristan told them how he managed to escape his prison; apparently Robert didn't think him important enough to be watched properly. Ned pitied the men that was supposed to watch him, Robert will be furious when he will find out, if he hadn't already, that Barristan the Bold escaped and joined with the northerners.

Ser Arthur spent half a day with his brother, talking and remembering their times in the sun. Victories both at field and at tourneys and the pride they both took in serving the Targaryens. He visited Ned in his solar right before dusk.

"I received a raven today," he said. "It would seem the realm has heard of my delightful stay at Winterfell," he laughed a little.

"Why are you telling me this? Your correspondence is none of my business."

"The letter was from Jaime Lannister."

That caught Ned's attention. He nodded towards him to get him to continue.

"He explained himself, mostly. He said he does not care what people think of him and will justify himself only to those who are worth it. Apparently, I am one of them."

"Truly," Ned said with irony in his voice.

"I have known him since he was a young boy. I knighted him myself. He's not a bad sort, I can say that much."

"Even now? After he broke his vows and put his sword through your king's back?" Ned wondered.

"If what he says is true, I cannot exclude I would not act the same, had I been in his position."

"What does he say?"

"That Aerys truly went mad in the end. That he ordered his pyromancer to burn the King's Landing with wildfire. He also added some information of Robert's plans but it's nothing we wouldn't already know thanks to Lord Arryn." Ser Arthur took the letter from his armor and gave it to Ned. "Read the last paragraph."

"I wish I could come up North to help you defend Rhaegar's son but I doubt I would be wanted there. Ned Stark has made his opinion of me quite clear, though I could not care less. The choice had been removed from my hands anyway. Robert is to marry my sister and no matter what I would wish for myself, I have to stay behind to protect _her_ if nothing else. Even if you will still despise me for what I did, I hope you know I will always cherish our friendship and all you did for me. Your friend and brother, Jaime."

"I called him a false brother, a traitor, an oath breaker. Perhaps I was wrong. Sometimes, the intention precedes the means, wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps, sometimes," Ned said.

"Jaime sullied his name in order to protect the people of King's Landing and no one even knows of this."

"If what he says is the truth," Ned said.

"The letter sounds sincere to me; he didn't try to get me believe he is the only innocent, he merely explained what led him to it."

"Let's say we both believe him, does that change anything for us?"

"I don't think so, no. Perhaps only our opinions of him."

"I cannot say I like him very much but I have to admit I acted rather harshly when I saw him in King's Landing."

Arthur laughed. "Perhaps you will get a chance to tell him if we meet him at battlefield."

"We?" asked Ned.

"Yes, we. I am coming south with you. Do not tell me you thought otherwise?"

"Well, since you refused to even leave the nursery for the most time, I expected you would stay here with my family."

"I admit I had my doubts if I should either stay here or go with you but now that ser Barristan had arrived, he will stay behind to protect them."

"A hundred men could defend Winterfell against thousands; I am leaving two hundred men behind to defend my ancestral home and my family."

"We will not let them get anywhere near Winterfell."

"You never know what will happen. I instructed Willam Dustin to stay behind as my brother's councilor and if enemy forces should break through us and march for Winterfell, he is to get my family on a prepared ship at the White Harbor and sail for Essos."

"You do not waste a second in planning every possible scenario, do you?" Arthur smiled.

"I have already lost a half of my family and gods be my witnesses, I am not letting any harm come to those remaining."

Arthur nodded. "Your family is taken care of, then. Now we need to take care of Robert Baratheon and Tywin Lannister."

-.-

**Author's Note**: I am truly grateful for every single comment (and for every favorite and follower :)), so feel free to write even more of them :D (I will be grateful even for those with criticism - I want to improve my writing skills after all). Some of you mentioned you enjoy longer chapters (and honestly, so do I :)) so I am trying to make them longer. The next one will be short, though - just a heads up :), because... well, I don't know, it just felt right to leave with just like it is now - I may change it still but I doubt I will.

Anyway, I want to thank you once again for your support. It's awesome! :)


	7. The Stupid, The Proud, The Honorable

I'm starting to think I should've put Arthur as a main character in this story :). Why can't you put more than four characters anyway?

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CHAPTER 7 – THE STUPID, THE PROUD, THE HONORABLE

Stupid, honorable man. Stupid, honorable lord. Stupid, honorable Stark.

Arthur had a feeling something went terribly wrong almost entire evening. He sat with the men of the North around a fire, talking and laughing with them but he had this nagging feeling in the back of his head. He felt the same when Rhaegar left in the cover of night to go after his beloved; he felt the same when he knew the Battle at the Trident took place; he felt the same just a while before Ned Stark arrived at the Tower of Joy. Something was wrong but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. He got up from the fire after a while, deciding to look around and find out what could possibly go wrong.

They were at the borders of Riverlands and Robert's army was only a few miles from them. It was the eve before battle and every man tried to live as this was their last night on this world and sadly, for some of them, it actually was. Arthur walked around their camp for a while, making sure their enemy did not decide to start the battle a bit sooner, but the guards calmly gambled with dices because no enemy was in sight.

Then he headed to the tent of the Lord of Winterfell, only to find it completely empty. He went to his desk to sit down while he would wait for him when he noticed a piece of parchment. He started to read and within a second, he realized what exactly went terribly wrong.

He quickly put the letter into his armor and ran out of the tent to get a horse.

"Find Lord Arryn and Lord Tully and give this to them," he ordered to a young man who was taking care of the horses. "Tell them I followed and tell them to stamp Robert and his minions to the ground if we won't be back by dawn, NOW!"

He threw the piece of paper to the man, jumped on a horse and ran from the camp as if his life depended on it. Lord Eddard couldn't be much ahead of him. The candles in his tent were still lit and the ink on the parchment barely dried out.

"Stupid, honorable man," Arthur told to himself while he rode as fast as wind through the night. Arthur would actually prefer if Ned Stark would get on his horse and fled the camp to avoid the battle.

Stupidity and honor went hand in hand for most of the time. Arthur knew that very well. Honor is what killed most men and what took the things they held most dear from them. Most men only prided themselves with honor but when it came to breaking bones, they abandoned it faster than you could even say honor. Ned Stark was an honorable man to his very bones, though. Arthur thought it a good thing but now he saw it only as stupidity. Arthur himself could afford to be honorable and stupid because the future of the North and his house didn't lie on his shoulders.

He had a visual of Robert's camp and slowed down his horse. He headed toward the near forest to disguise himself. He will need to get through the camp to Robert's own tent which will be a difficult task but not impossible. It won't be his first time sneaking in an enemy camp after all. He hoped he will catch up with Eddard on his way but the man is apparently a lot faster then he looks. He only hoped Robert won't strike him down or imprison the second he will see him.

He sneaked around tents, looking for the biggest one. _The vanity of men_, he thought. Leader always have to be marked for everyone else to see. Well, as long as it works for him to get there faster. Robert's camp looked a lot like their own. Men sat around fire, laughing, drinking wine, and fooling around with women. Nobody was paying much attention to him, he was just another man walking through the camp and preparing himself for the upcoming battle.

Arthur was close to Robert's tent when he saw two women leaving it. He would have laughed if he wouldn't try to be invisible. _What did Stark interrupted_, he wondered chuckling quietly. There was silence from the tent for a while but then he heard them.

"Have you gone mad?" Robert asked rather angrily. "Coming to an enemy camp, I never thought you were _this_ stupid, Ned."

"I came with hope that you still hold some affection for me," answered Ned.

"You wear hope instead of armor," Robert said.

"I have come to ask you to lay down your arms. Let us settle our differences in a civilized manner. You know as well as I do the realm cannot survive another war. Do what a good king would have done, Robert."

"You ask me to be civilized? I loved you like a brother, more than my own brothers in fact and how did you repay me? You betrayed me! How dare you to come here and ask me to lay down my arms after what you have done?"

"If anything you betrayed me, Robert," Eddard growled. "You want to kill a member of my family, my own blood, what did you think I would do? Stay still while you would butcher a newborn baby? A son of my sister?"

"He is nothing more than a product of rape. How can you protect him? How can you accept him after what his father did to your sister?"

"Gods be good, Robert, how naïve are you? There was no rape, no abduction. She loved him, Robert, she loved Rhaegar."

Arthur would have gladly given up his life if only he could see Robert's face right now. It would give him at least a bit of satisfaction.

"You are lying," said Robert stubbornly.

"Why? Why would I lie? I am sorry, Robert; but she did not love you back. I wish she would but the gods did not want it so."

There was a complete silence for a while before Eddard Stark spoke again.

"I beg of you, Robert, do not make us the enemies today."

"We have become enemies the day we crossed swords at the Tower of Joy," Robert said rather sadly.

"Not necessarily. We can still stop this. It is a pointless conflict which neither of us will win."

"I cannot let him live, Ned."

"Please, Robert. He is the only reminder of her I have. I promised Lyanna I will protect him with my life. She loved her son and she gave up her life for him. For all the love you held for her, for all the love you still hold for me, let him live."

Arthur found a little opening in the cloth the tent was built from and looked inside. Robert and Eddard where facing each other. Both of them had fierceness and sadness written in their faces.

"If you need to kill someone, kill me," Eddard said and knelt in front of him. "But let the boy live."

Robert looked away from him and kicked angrily into a chair. "Seven hells, Ned. Why are you putting me in such a position?"

"We have been brothers, you and I, for as long as I can remember, Robert. I have never asked anything of you, but now I ask this. Do not start another war because of wounded pride. The boy is not a product of rape, as you have imagined. He is a wolf to me and he will be raised a wolf, not a dragon, if only you would let him."

"He may be a wolf to you but he is dragon to the rest of the realm. Lyanna aside, he is a threat to me and my future heirs. I have loved your sister and you know I love you like a brother and I would gladly fulfill your wish, but I cannot let _him_ live."

"I have no intention of taking the Iron throne from you, rest assured. My men are gathered here only to protect Jon's life. Let's settle this peacefully and everyone can return home to their families."

"We part peacefully and twenty years from now Jon Targaryen will cross the Neck with northern host at his back to take his father's throne. I will not allow that to happen. He must die."

"You will have to kill me first," said Eddard.

Robert sighed and looked at the ground. "At sunrise I will officially ask you to give the boy up, if you will not oblige the king's orders, I will announce you and everyone who supports you an enemy of the crown and we will be at war. You are free to leave my camp for now but should you ever feel the need to visit me again, you will be taken as a prisoner of war. Take it as one last favor from the Robert who had been a brother to you."

"Is this you final answer?" Eddard asked gravely.

Robert nodded. "I am sorry but this is how it must be. It is either me or the boy."

"Then I am sorry too, friend," said Eddard. "I will never betray my own blood."

-.-

Arthur waited for Eddard at the edge of a forest, where both of them left their horses. Eddard raised his eyebrows when he saw him but said nothing and neither did Arthur. He wanted to scream at him, to tell him he has more luck than reason but he could not. Arthur was truly angry at him before but not anymore. He was ready to sacrifice himself in order to protect Jon and his men, after all. Arthur could not depreciate that.

When they returned to their camp, Arthur spoke at last. "I could take him away, to Essos. He would be gone and your wife, son, brother and your men would be safe. Robert would turn his eyes away from you and focused on us."

Eddard looked at him, thinking about his words for a while. "No," he said. "I will not banish him from his home after all that he has already been through. He is only a month old and he already lost a mother and a father, I will not rob him of having a family. He and my own son will grow into strong men, together, as brothers. The young wolf and the young dragon," Eddard smiled. "You were right before and so were Robert and Hoster Tully. I wished him to be only my sister's son but I cannot deny his father. He is a wolf to me but he is also a dragon and I will learn to accept that in time if the gods will let us survive this war. I will raise him as my father has raised me but I will never let him forget who he is. Prince Jon Targaryen."

"Prince Jon Targaryen," Arthur repeated with a small smile. "Well," he spoke again after a while. "We can be melancholic another time, now we have a war to win."

"Aye," Ned returned his smile. "That we have."

-.-

The next morning, Ned and Robert faced each other again. Only this time they both sat on their horses, fully armed and with men loyal to them behind their back. Robert did as he had promised last night, he gave Ned last chance to give the boy up and swore his loyalty to the new king and in response he and all men who followed him will be forgiven for their treacherous intentions. Ser Arthur, who was sitting on his horse right behind Ned, started to laugh.

"Look who's talking of treason," he said bitterly.

Ned ignored the knight behind him, though Robert turned red with anger. "As I have said countless times before, House Stark and all the men behind me are protecting Jon Targaryen, if you want him, _my king_, you will have to kill us all!"

"So be it," Robert growled.

Eyes of every man were glued to them and as soon as their leaders turned their backs on each other, the battle began.

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**Author's note**: Well, I hope you liked this chapter as well :). Thank you all once again :).


	8. Making Friends

Just a bit of jibber jabber from me :D

I know Cat was always a bitch to Jon but she's still one of my absolutely favorites... (GOD, how I hope Lady Stoneheart will be in the fifth season - pretty pretty please...) :D

It would seem I have czech readers too - PARÁDA :D (=AWESOME :D)

I still don't have a beta, so if anyone would be interested, just PM me :)

Well, here we go. I hope you'll like it :)

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CHAPTER 8 – MAKING FRIENDS

He returned to her six moons later. All bloody and scarred but alive. Her husband, the father of her child. He had to fight his way even to his own home. Robert sent many raiders on ships to get to the North and pillage its lands so they wouldn't be able to support his enemy but the men her husband left to protect them always managed to push them back.

She remembered one day when there was about five hundred raiders heading towards Winterfell. Willam Dustin panicked and almost dragged her, Benjen and both boys to the carriage that would get them to White Harbor and out of Westeros, just as his lord commanded, but ser Barristan and Benjen himself managed to convince him otherwise. If they would leave the castle, the raiders would catch them on their way and their fates would be sealed. They stayed and within a couple of days, the threat was gone. Not five thousand men could take Winterfell, Benjen told her then but Catelyn doubted they were ordered to conquer Winterfell. She knew more than few things about war from her father and uncle and she was fairly certain they merely served as a distraction for her husband at the main front. Unfortunately for Robert and Tywin though, her husband was not stupid and made certain his homeland and family are well protected before he marched south to meet with them.

Now, he was back in the castle while the war lasted on in Riverlands. _Her_ homeland has become a battlefield in a war for a dragon's life. She was angry and resentful because it was her father's people who paid the highest price and countless of lives were lost so that one may be preserved. She was angry and resentful not towards her husband though but towards Robert Baratheon. He wanted the child dead and nothing could stop him in achieving it. A sweet, innocent child that slept right next to her own son. Why should he die? What for? What he did that was so terrible he did not deserve a chance to even live? It was hardly his fault who his parents were. She told her husband she would do anything so that their son may live and grow up in a strong man that would make him proud and as she watched Jon Targaryen slowly grow alongside Robb as if he was his own brother, she was determined to do absolutely anything for him as well.

She didn't realize she feared for her husband's life so much until she saw him ride through the gate in Winterfell with couple of guards, all covered in blood.

"Fear not, my lady," he smiled at her when he dismounted his horse, walking towards her. "None of the blood is mine."

She visibly relaxed when she saw with her own eyes that he was truly unharmed and felt a sudden urge to throw herself in his arms to welcome him home.

"Your guests have not yet arrived, my lord," she said instead. "Though we received a raven not long before you have arrived saying they left the White Harbor."

Her husband nodded. "Very well, I will at least have a chance to make myself presentable before they arrive."

-.-

Lord Stark stood at the square in Winterfell with his wife to his left and his brother to his right while the envoy of his guests rode through the gate. There were about fifteen men with cold expressions that could rival those the northerners always used when they met with men unknown to them. They all stopped not far from them and their leader who rode in the middle came in front of him.

"Lord Stark, how kind of you to invite us," he smiled insincerely and Ned fought the urge to turn his eyes.

"Welcome to Winterfell, lord Balon," he said and bowed his head a little.

The lord of the Iron Islands followed his example. "Truth be told, I did not expect you would entertain in such times," he said mockingly.

Ned took a deep breath and gave him a forced smile. "Let's go inside, you must be hungry after such a long journey."

"Indeed," Balon nodded. "Let's do that and after, we can speak about the real reason we are here."

"That bastard knows we need him," Benjen whispered to Ned, while Balon dismounted his horse.

"He knows the truth. He is our only hope if we want to end this war quickly," Ned whispered back.

"Well, he doesn't need to be all cocky because of it," Benjen murmured.

"He can be as cocky as he wants, as long as he helps us."

The Iron Islands stayed neutral until this point. Ned has sent a Raven to the Pyke at the beginning of the war, asking if they would be willing to join him against Robert but no response came. He thought they already swore their allegiance to Robert and expected a real attack from the sea for couple of months instead of few raiders but none came. Jon Arryn and Hoster Tully started to think about addressing Lord Balon Greyjoy again, when raven brought a message, saying he would like to meet with Lord Eddard Stark in person. Ned invited him to their camp but he refused to – in his words – meet at such a busy place and suggested they meet at his castle to discuss the details of his conflict with King Robert. Ned didn't like the idea of having him near his family but he had little choice. He needed the Ironborns.

The small talk at the dining table was torturing Ned. He didn't know what to expect of Balon and how he would stop himself from tearing him to pieces if he would refuse to join with Ned. He was still new to the world of negotiation and diplomacy. When they yet fought in Robert's rebellion, it was always Jon who managed the politics and allies, not Ned and certainly not Robert. His father and Jon Arryn taught him all they knew about politics but Ned still had too little of his own experiences. He was a soldier, good at fighting and good at planning a war but intrigues still eluded him. Perhaps in time, he will learn the craft better.

"Let's cut to the chase," he said a bit angrily. _Well, not just yet it would seem, _he thought.

Balon laughed a little. "You are rather impatient, Lord Stark."

"You know what I want, give me an answer then," he said, ignoring Balon's last sentence.

Balon gave him a serious look. "Why don't we depart the main hall? Politics is a boring subject; perhaps we should discuss it in privacy."

Ned nodded and left the great hall with Balon Greyjoy by his side. They walked quietly towards Ned's solar. When they walked in, they both sat on chairs, facing each other. There was silence for some time; Ned almost thought they engaged into some sort of staring contest when Balon spoke at last.

"What I want to know is why should I join with you? What's in it for me and my people?"

"The spoils of war," Ned answered.

"If I want spoils, I will send my men to pillage some land that won't cut my head off in response."

"You think we will lose."

"Yours and Robert's army are equal in size and you are both rather impressive generals but sooner or later one of you will start to lose. My money is on you because Tywin Lannister can hire as many sellswords as he wishes and remind me again which side Tywin Lannister took?"

"Why did you want to meet with me then? Not only to tell me that I will lose, surely."

"The Iron Throne has been bombarding me with ravens, telling me I owe my allegiance to the king. It is getting rather tiring, I must say. You sent me one raven and when I did not reply, you took the message, loud and clear. I like that. Robert thinks if he will chase after me as if I was some shy maiden, I will yield to his rule. He _commands_ me to join him. An Ironborn listens to no commands; we do what we want and when we want. Right now, I want to listen to you."

"Well, if you will join with me, I'd say the chasing will stop. You will be a traitor in the eyes of the realm."

Balon laughed. "Everybody is a traitor now and then. Robert was a traitor a year ago and now he wears the crown."

"I will not lie to you, Lord Greyjoy, I need you but you know that very well already," Ned said. "If we join together, Robert and Tywin will not stand a chance; nor anyone else for that matter. You have the best fleet in Westeros but your men are weak on land. I have it the other way around. You will attack from the sea while they are busy fighting me. All the treasures on the coast will be yours to take for the entire south is protected only by a handful of men. The North, the Riverlands, the Vale _and_ the Iron Islands; that is a force Robert cannot hope to defeat. And as long as you rule the sea, there will be no army of sellswords from Essos, no matter the gold Tywin Lannister possess."

"True," Balon smiled. "I must say it sounds very tempting but there is one question I need answered before I answer you."

"Speak it, then."

"Do you plan to take the Iron throne for the boy?"

"No."

"Why?"

"That is a second question."

"I do not care. Let's say I will join with you, I start to pillage the south – not as pathetically as Robert tries to pillage the North – but truly. Robert will be forced to retreat or he will lose his lands and you will chase every man out of Riverlands and then… what?"

"We will secure the borders of my father-in-law's lands and never let any other southerner cross it unless asked."

"You will make another kingdom," Balon said, surprised and impressed. "Independent from the Iron throne."

"I would not use the word kingdom, that sounds too presumptuous, but we would truly be independent from the Iron throne," Ned smiled a little.

"You would be a king in your own right."

"I seek no kingship but I will not bow to a king who would murder my own blood. I have risen against Aerys when he dared to touch the wolves and I will not hesitate to do so again, as I have already shown when I defied Robert."

"This will shape the realm for generations."

"So be it."

"What will happen if your nephew grows up and decides he wants to take his father's throne from the usurper? Will you break the borders and support him or will you try to stop him?"

"The throne is rightfully his and it will be his own choice when he will be old enough to make it. I will not stop him if he will wish to sit on his father's throne."

"Well, so much for the view into the future… You say you seek no kingship but you will be a king nonetheless, at least thought if not called. I, on the other hand, do seek kingship yet the title eludes me. Long have I waited for an opportunity to declare Iron islands independent from the rest of the kingdom and the time is now."

"You say my defeat is inevitable without your help. Well, if you stay neutral in this war and declare yourself a King on top of that, Robert will turn his eye on you as soon as he defeats me and he will force you to kneel. It would seem you need me just as much as I need you in the end."

"Aye, that is how it seems."

"Only one question remains. Will you join me, Lord Greyjoy?"

Balon smiled. "What is dead may never die. The Ironborns will help you as long as you help the Ironborns."

Ned returned his smile. "Our friendship is official then."

-.-

Balon Greyjoy left Winterfell the next morning. They agreed he should come to their main camp to discuss their strategy in person with everyone involved. He was certain Hoster Tully and Jon Arryn will be excited to see Balon on their side. The Ironborns will quickly change the weights in this war.

"When will you leave again?" his wife asked sadly while they watched the party of Ironborns ride into the distance.

"Tomorrow, I think. I originally meant to leave today as well but I think I deserve one stolen day with my wife and the boys, wouldn't you agree, my lady?"

Catelyn smiled widely. "I think you do, my lord. But will you not be needed there?"

"I have left the command in very capable hands of Howland Reed, GreatJon Umber and Rickard Karstark. They may break each other's noses but they will take care of my men, of that I am certain."

"In that case, you are almost bound to stay for at least a day with us," Catelyn smiled again. "After all, you have seen your son and nephew only for a moment last night and they were both asleep when you were finally finished with Lord Greyjoy. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see how lively they are when awake and how much they have grown."

"With the Greyjoys at our side, we will end this war quickly. Well, I hope we will. Then I will have every day for the rest of my life to be with the boys and you, my lady," he returned her smile.

Catelyn touched her belly. "And all our other children. Is it silly to hope we have conceived another child last night?" she asked him.

Ned laughed a little. "We only had our wedding night before I had to leave for war and Robb is a product of that one night. It most certainly is not silly, my lady."

"Then, perhaps there will be another child awaiting your return."

"I will be long back before you give birth to this one," Ned smiled heartily and squeezed his wife's hand.

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**Author's note**: Well, what did you think? :) .

Once again, I'd like to thank you all for your support, I'm really thrilled to have so many faithful readers :)


	9. The Young Wolf and the Young Dragon

Well, I have a little Easter present for you :D

I'm not so sure about this chapter but... well, I can always delete it if I'll think of a better way to continue this story :)

Please, let me know what you think :)

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CHAPTER 9 - THE YOUNG WOLF AND THE YOUNG DRAGON

17 years later

He took another blow into his arm and this one hurt like hell. His cousin would never hurt him intentionally but when they were training and their minds were in the heat of battle, neither of them looked left or right. At their seventeenth name-day, they were both given a real sword but they were forbidden to train with them. They protested at first, loudly, but did as they were told in the end, as they always have. Now, Jon was really glad they did not actually practice with them; they would probably kill each other within seconds.

"Got enough?" Robb laughed.

"Why? You're getting sleepy?" Jon replied jokingly.

"Not I. You look ready to faint, though. Perhaps you should find my sister and be her sewing partner."

"If you mean the younger one, then perhaps I should. She makes a better challenge anyway."

"Enough with the big talk, boys," ser Rodrik said with amused expression.

"It's all they can do, since they hold their swords like little girls," said ser Arthur, approaching them.

"I am insulted," said Robb, trying to look offended.

"Why are you insulted? It's true for you," laughed Jon.

"Well, look who's talking," retorted Arthur. "Lady Catelyn is looking for you; I heard she found a nice pair of dresses for you, so run along."

"Funny," said Jon.

Arthur laughed. "She really is looking for you. Well, move your ass then, we do not keep ladies waiting. I will provide some competition for the young wolf here."

"No one can stand against the heir of Winterfell," Robb said jokingly.

"An heir, my ass," Arthur laughed again. "Prove me you are at least half the fighter your father is."

Jon watched as they crossed swords for a few seconds and then ran inside the castle. Arthur was right; men should not keep ladies waiting, especially when the lady in question was his aunt. She never liked to be kept waiting. She explained him once why it was so. Every man she ever loved has kept her waiting. Her father and her uncle when she was yet a young girl, then his Uncle Brandon and Uncle Ned after him and now, as he and Robb were growing up and accompanying Uncle Ned and his men almost everywhere they went, they continued to keep her waiting and never knowing if they would return safely. So when Jon could, he never let her wait for him; she did not deserve it.

"You asked after me, my lady?" he asked as soon as he was in his uncle's solar. That's where she always was when his uncle was out of Winterfell. She was sitting behind a large table, writing a letter. She looked up to him and smiled.

"A raven came from the Night's Watch, one from Benjen for your uncle and one from Maester Aemon for you."

"That could not wait until after the training?" he laughed.

"Well, since you always act like a five year old when he writes to you, I expected you would want to read it straight away. Besides, yours and Robb's boasting in the training yard is rather distracting," she smiled.

"You heard?" he groaned.

Catelyn laughed. "My darling, you are forgetting this room is right above the training yard. I honestly do not understand how your uncle can work here when you hear every little sound from there."

"Maybe that is the reason he works into the night so often," Jon smiled. "So he did not have to listen to me and Robb arguing about who is the better fighter."

"Probably," she replied and handed him the letter from his other uncle. Jon sat in a chair in the corner of the room to read it. He always liked Maester Aemon. He told him so many stories about his father that even Arthur did not know and he showed him many letters Rhaegar wrote to him. In some way, those letters made him more real in Jon's eyes. They were a proof that his father had lived. And of course, he was always there for him whenever he needed. The others too, of course, he knew he could count on his family in Winterfell but Maester Aemon was different, he was also his family, but a different kind. He was the part of the family Jon never knew.

"He wants me to visit him at the Wall," Jon said after reading his letter. "Can I go?"

"I do not know; your uncle will be back in a fortnight, how about you would go after he returns?"

"I will be back by the time uncle Ned arrives," he assured her. "Aemon sounds rather urgent. It must be important."

"He does not sound urgent," Catelyn said suspiciously.

Jon grinned. "But I can go, right?"

She shook her head kindly. "Yes, you can go, as long as you will be back to welcome the Lord of Winterfell home, understood?"

He nodded cheerfully. "Thank you, aunt Cat," he said.

"Arya will want to accompany you," she said when he was about to leave.

"Does she have your permission to go as well?" he asked innocently.

"Like I would try to stop her," she sighed. "Take at least dozen men with you."

"That is not necessary, ser Arthur and ser Barristan will be enough."

"Dozen men, Jon," she repeated and Jon nodded in agreement before he left the solar.

-.-

The journey to the Wall turned out to be a tempting idea for couple of people. Arya of course insisted she will accompany her cousin to the wall and as soon as Robb heard of it, he was resolved to go even more than his younger sister. Aunt Catelyn did not like the idea of all three of them leaving Winterfell but fortunately for them, she gave up after couple of hours of convincing. So all three of them, along with their wolves and guards, headed north of Winterfell to visit the Wall one of their ancestors built.

They arrived right before dusk and were welcomed by the Lord Commander himself. His uncle visited the Wall frequently to make sure it was well protected. He always took at least one of them with him, so they were very well known up here, even Sansa wanted to visit the Wall several times. The South did not send anymore men to the Wall, so it was up to the northerners to ensure the safety of the realm. _The safety of the realm that betrayed his father and uncle Ned himself_, Jon thought bitterly. He shook his head to get rid of such thoughts; it never helps to dwell on things one cannot change.

Maester Aemon was in his solar with his steward going through many piles of parchment. Jon smiled as soon as he saw him even though the old man could not see it. He smiled too, though, as soon as Jon spoke.

"I see you have granted my wish and visited an old worthless man," he said, still smiling.

"You are many things, uncle, but not worthless," Jon replied. "Why did you wish me to visit you?"

"Is it that hard to believe I merely desire some personal contact with my own blood?"

"I have known you all my life and not once have you asked me to come, it must be important."

"Clever as always," the old man smiled. He waved at his servant to dismiss him and waited until he heard the door being closed. "Indeed, I have important business with you."

"What is it?"

"There is something I was saving for a quite some time now; and I believe it is the right time for you to receive it."

Jon laughed. "What could you be saving? Old ravens?"

"Is that a way to speak to your elder, young man? You may be a prince but do not think I will not slap you if you deserve it."

Jon bowed his head. "Apologies, uncle. I meant no offense."

"There we go," he smiled again. "Your eighteenth name-day is coming up, am I right?"

"Yes, you are right, uncle."

"Beside my bed, there is an opening in the floor covered with a piece of carpet, inside is a chest," he said and took off his necklace, "and in this is the key to the chest. The content is yours from this day until your last."

Jon narrowed his eyes a little. He took the necklace from his hands and opened it. There was indeed a key inside. Jon was confused, what could be so important that his uncle hid it so thoroughly? He removed the carpet, opened the door in the ground and took out a nicely carved chest.

"What is in it, uncle?"

"Open it and see," he replied with a small smile.

Jon was frowning when he unlocked the chest, he had absolutely no idea what could be hidden in it. He opened the lid and a pile of dust flew from it.

"How long have you been saving it?" he coughed.

Aemon laughed a little. "You would not believe me if I told you."

"It is a sword," he said rather surprised. "Why are you giving me a sword?"

"It is not just any sword, my boy. Look at it closely."

Jon took the sheath in his hand and looked at the hilt of the sword. He has never seen such a beautiful hilt. It was made from gold, with symbols written on it and it was intersperse with precious stones. He squeezed the hilt in his hand. He thought it might be uncomfortable but it was not so. It fitted perfectly into his hand. He drew the sword.

"The blade looks like Ice, only smaller. This is Valyrian steel, isn't it, uncle?"

"Yes, my boy," replied Aemon. "It is a sword made from Valyrian steel."

"How did you come by it?"

"Nothing comes to mind?" he smiled. Jon only shook his head, looking in awe at the blade and not realizing his uncle could not see him. He spoke on anyway. "As you know, I gave up the throne in favor of my younger brother Aegon. When Egg ascended to the throne, he imprisoned the Hand of the King for murder. Do you remember who was the Hand back then?"

"Bloodraven," Jon replied only half paying attention. The sword took too much of his focus.

"And do you remember what sword he used to wear?"

"Dark Sister," Jon whispered. "This is his sword. Visenya's sword. Dark Sister."

"Brynden Rivers, or Bloodraven as many called him, travelled to the Wall with me. Egg allowed him to take his sword with him. It was given to him, after all. He rose to the position of the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and disappeared beyond the Wall in the end but before he did, he asked me to keep the sword safe."

"Why? Why didn't he carry her with him?"

"This is one of two ancestral swords of House Targaryen. Blackfyre was sullied when Aegon the Unworthy gave it to his bastard but Dark Sister is still pure; she is way too important to be lost beyond the Wall, Brynden knew this."

"She was carried by one of Aegon's bastards as well," Jon pointed out. "How can she be still pure?"

"Blackfyre inspired rebellion; Dark Sister was given to Bryden for he was a great warrior who stayed loyal to the rightful king. This is the sword Visenya carried all her life and so many valiant Targaryens after her. Now, it is passed on to you. I trust you will carry her with honor and pride like the Dragonknight himself."

Jon was speechless for a while. "I promise I will. Thank you, uncle," he managed to say.

-.-

They spent couple of days in Castle Black before they headed to visit East Watch by the sea, where Benjen was posted as an acting commander until new one will be chosen, and after a day there, they headed back to Winterfell. Robb spent every minute of every day following Jon and asking him to borrow Dark Sister. They both always tried to sneak a peak of Ice when they were younger. Hell, even now. Jon used to be insanely jealous of Robb because Ice was his heritage. When it will be his time to stand up and inherit Winterfell after his father, he will be given Ice as the rightful Lord of the North. Dark Sister was even more beautiful than Ice, at least in Jon's eyes. It was a perfect sword, both gorgeous and deadly. He was so proud his uncle deemed him worthy of her. He only wondered why now of all times, Aemon chose to give her to him.

"Do you think the realm would be different if Aemon took the throne instead of Aegon?" he asked his cousins a question that was eating him alive for a few days.

"Most likely," Robb shrugged. "He would have different heirs, would he not? You would not be born, though, nor your father."

"Nor your grandfather," Arya said, smirking. "That would be a good thing."

Jon looked at her little angrily.

"Don't give me this look; you know as well as I do he was a mad old prick."

Robb started to laugh. "Is that a way for a lady to speak, sister? What if mother heard you?"

"She would agree with me," Arya said mockingly.

"Yes, well, if Aerys did not live, neither would any of you. Your mother would marry Uncle Brandon and have different children with him."

Both Robb and Arya frowned when they looked at him. "What is wrong with you?"

Jon sighed a little. "I don't know. I just… he was my grandfather; I would want him to be a good man."

"Your father was a good man, is that not enough? Well, that's what Arthur says five times a day," Robb said.

"Do you want me to throw you off your horse?" jabbed Arthur, who was riding silently next to them. Robb laughed again.

"It does not matter whether your grandfather was a good man or not, you are a good man and that is it," ser Barristan said to Jon. "If it makes you feel better, he was a good man at first. All that followed was a result of illness."

"Well, all you need is something or someone to blame your actions on," mumbled Arya.

"Arya," Robb snapped.

"Fine, I will not say another word," she said, annoyed.

There was a high pitched scream in the distance and everyone in their party turned around to see where it came from.

"There," shouted Robb, pointing towards a distanced village. "I see smoke," he said and rushed his horse in that direction. Everyone else followed him.

They arrived in a half destroyed village. Smoke was everywhere, screaming, shouting and the sounds of clashing swords could be heard all around them. Men fought each other and women and children tried to hide from the raiders attacking the village.

"Spread out," ordered Robb. "Push them from the village."

Jon rushed on his horse through the village, killing every raider he saw. Robb was near him, same as ser Arthur and ser Barristan, while Arya stayed behind to cover them with her bow. The raiders were few, just enough to take what the village had to offer and return to the sea but when their party of fifteen people arrived, everyone a skilled fighter; they did not stand a chance.

"Thank you, m'lord, gods bless you," said some woman to Jon when last man fell. He smiled at her kindly.

"Lord Stark," one of their guards called to Robb. "We have a raider here, alive."

Jon jumped off his horse and followed Robb. "Are those the usurper's raiders?" he asked.

"I doubt that, the south did not send raiders in a long time," Robb said. "Besides, they are way up north to be Robert's men; they would not get so far through all the ships of Ironborns."

"Who were they, then?" asked Arya.

"Well, let's ask him," said ser Barristan and approached the men hold by two others. He removed his helmet so everyone could see him. "Ehm... her."

Robb and Jon exchanged confused looks. "What is a woman doing here?"

Arya coughed. "Is it so hard to believe that a woman could be a skilled fighter?" she growled quietly and put her hand on Needle.

"Absolutely not," Jon and Robb said at the same time.

"Who are you?" ser Barristan asked. The woman said nothing.

"Well, this complicates things. I highly doubt any of us would strike her for information," said Jon.

"I would," said Arya.

"No," ordered Robb. "We will take her to Winterfell with us. Father will want to speak with her."

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**Author's Note**: Well? Good? Bad?. Was this a right time to make a time-jump? :)

Once again, thank you for your support, I really appreciate it :)


	10. Home Again

Hi, guys :)

Well, another chapter is up. I forgot to mention in the previous one that the war will be explained throughout following chapters. Something is in this one and I can promise that it will be mentioned in next chapters as well. :)

Enjoy. :)

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CHAPTER 10 – HOME AGAIN

Ned Stark was returning home at last. He spent almost two months in Riverlands with his brother in law and Jon Arryn. His father in law died not a year ago and the newly appointed Lord of Riverrun needed all the help he could get to become a good Lord as his father was. Ned remembered quite well when he was in the same position. With the deaths of Rickard and Brandon Stark, he was forced to rise as a Lord of Winterfell and lead his men into a war and he did not know how he would ever manage to be a decent lord. He built up his confidence after a while thanks to the help and advice of his foster father and proved he can be a good leader but if he did not have Jon Arryn, the entire North, heritage of his family for centuries, would probably be doomed. If not in the first war, then in the other.

Ned was truly sad when they heard of Lord Tully's lasting illness. He knew how much his lady wife and his children loved him and truth be told, he grew quite fond of him as well over the years. The man was a reason why Ned and Jon Targaryen still drew breath. He helped him avenge his father and brother and then he helped him protect his sister's son. None of that was his duty yet he did it anyway, out of a goodness of his heart. That being said, Ned would do absolutely anything to help his son lead his people into prosperity.

The Riverlands recovered fairly quickly from their war with Robert Baratheon thanks to Hoster's leadership but the war did not _officially _end, still. When the Ironborns joined them, they gained an advantage within a blink of an eye. Lord Balon attacked the unprotected south while every man that could hold a sword was in Riverlands fighting Ned and his forces. Robert was forced to retreat to protect his own lands but before he got there, the Ironborns were back on their ships, leaving the south almost in ruin, especially Westerlands that supported Robert with gold. As soon as Robert's army left Riverlands, they started to build Watch towers at the borders to prevent anyone entering their lands. Balon Greyjoy declared himself a king of the Iron Islands and the sea, while the North, the Riverlands and the Vale send ravens to every noble house south of them, saying they were not welcome in their lands. Seven Kingdoms were no more.

Robert tried to attack them many times after that but they still held the upper hand and always pushed him back to King's Landing to lick his wounds. Ned offered him truce and even though Robert did not reply to his raven, he stopped his attacks. For how long, Ned did not know but he presumed that as soon as Robert will think his army strong enough, he will attack again. For now, though, they enjoyed a relative peace.

Ned rode through the gates of Winterfell and saw his entire family standing there to welcome him home. His heart started to beat faster. How he had missed them. His wife threw herself in his arms, not caring about all the people that saw them and Ned kissed her enthusiastically, while all their children smiled like fools.

"How is my dear brother?" Catelyn asked after a while.

"I think he is fairing quite nicely, your father taught him well," Ned answered.

"That is good," she smiled. "Well, my lord, we have quite a bit of news for you."

-.-

Ned sat is his solar going through every letter and every record to find out what happened in his absence. His head was spinning from all the news. His wife, with the help of his eldest son and nephew, took great care of their castle and lands while he was in Riverrun, thankfully but two months events were a lot to absorb in such a short time. Ned thanked all the gods, old and new, when he heard a knock on the door. At least he could take a break.

"You seem ready to jump out of the window," Arthur laughed when he entered the room.

"Have you ever tried to go through two months records of the entire North?" Ned retorted. "No? Then you have no right for an opinion," he said jokingly.

Arthur sat in a chair across the table from Ned and smiled at him. "I thought you would be in the crypts."

"I cannot bring myself to go there today. Though I still do not believe it has been nineteen years since they were murdered."

Arthur smiled sadly. "Everything bad can turn to good. The North got to have an amazing lord and even more amazing heir. You did a good job, you know that."

"I still cannot get rid of the feeling that all this was meant for him. The wife I so dearly love, Winterfell, the North, everything. It was Brandon's heritage and he would have been much better lord than I ever was. He was better than me in everything, after all. Swords, strategy, riding, women. Did you know he even have to go ask your sister to dance with me at Harrenhall because I was too shy to do that myself?"

"Aye, Ashara told me. She thought it sweet, you know."

Ned smiled sadly. "There were times when I wanted to hate him, to despise him for being so much better than me but I never could. I loved him too much."

"You say he would be a better lord than you ever were. I respectfully disagree, Ned. I did not know your brother well when he yet lived but I have learned a lot about him since coming to Winterfell with you. He was a good man but that does not necessarily mean he would make a good lord. He was too stubborn, too hot-headed to take good care of your ancestral heritage. That is what got him killed and what would have ruined the North, had he become a Lord of Winterfell. The North received the best lord the Starks had to offer."

"Well, I think we agree to disagree once again," Ned smiled. "But all the speculating in the world cannot change what happened."

"No, we must focus on the future to make it as best as we possibly can," Arthur said and with that, their conversation took another direction. "Have Robb or Jon tell you about our journey to the wall?"

"Aye, I understood Jon now carries a pretty new sword that happens to be Targaryen heirloom."

"Aemon kept it hidden since he came to the Wall. Rather impressive, wouldn't you agree? Blackfyre lost its value when given to Daemon; one would think the Targaryens would not let Dark Sister disappear for so long."

"I cannot help but to worry about the impact it can have on Jon."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he was reminded once more that he is the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. I do not want him to decide he wants to take his father's throne."

"You always claimed you would not stop him."

"I would never stop him but that does not mean I would agree with it. Our generation has already seen two wars; we are still at war, technically. When will the people say enough to the highborns playing their game of thrones?"

"Well, I would not push it. The small folk are tired of fighting and if we were to march south again, I doubt we would be supported as much as before. Yet I think you are reading too much into it, it is a beautiful sword but only a sword still."

"It holds a deeper meaning; I can say so from my own experience. When I arrived in King's Landing during Robert's Rebellion, I still did not think myself a Lord of Winterfell. It was only when I took my father's sword as my own that I realized it was all reality. Did you not feel something similar when you received Dawn?"

"Of course I did but that does not mean Jon will feel the same."

"I am only saying he could."

"Well, we shall see what the young prince will make of it."

-.-

Arthur was wondering throughout the castle, unsure of what to do. He spent half of the afternoon with Ned Stark, exchanging stories from the two months they have not seen each other but then he had to leave him so he could continue his work.

"You gave it another try?" he asked rather amused, when he saw Robb leaving a chamber, where they put the woman raider, with an angry expression.

"She has not said a word, well if you do not count insults and mocking," he growled. His face was almost redder than his hair with anger.

Arthur laughed a bit. "Send your sister to visit her and she will sing as a bird."

"Which one do you mean?" Robb replied jokingly.

"Well, Sansa could torture her with talk of new dresses and Arya could torture her with talk of water dancing, you choose."

Robb laughed a little. "Well, we could give it a try. Even father tried to get her to talk and nothing. If she did not spend last hour insulting me, I would think she cannot speak."

"Do we have any idea where she comes from?"

"Father thinks she is a Skaggs. Who else would dare to pillage our lands? Robert's men are out of a question after their last encounter with our forces and you can say she is not from Dorne and certainly not from Essos, she has a looks of a northerner and she is way too sophisticated to be a wildling."

"Skagos is under the rule of Winterfell."

"Aye, officially but they have little contact with the land. Basically, they do what they like and do not care if we like it too."

"I cannot say I have ever encountered someone from Skagos, nor heard for that matter."

"They rebelled against Winterfell every now and then throughout history. Last time was about hundred years ago. The rebellion was crushed but at the cost of life of the former Lord of Winterfell. Perhaps they think they can challenge us once again."

"Well, they are welcome to try," Arthur smiled.

"Aye let them try," Robb smiled back. "Father ordered me to help the people in the attacked village and raise defenses around the eastern coast. Perhaps we will encounter them once more and then they will think twice before attacking the North again."

"Has your father given you a command of the men who will leave for the coast?"

"Aye, he did," Robb said enthusiastically. "My first real command. Gods strike me down right here and now if I will not prove I am fit to rule the North after my father."

Arthur patted the back of the Young wolf. "You will do just fine," he said kindly. If there ever lived a man who was just as proud of him as his parents, it was Arthur. "Just one piece of advice though. Capture a more talkative raider, will you?"

Robb laughed. "I will try."

-.-

Arthur spent so much time in the North that his days in the south seemed as a distant dream. He was slowly getting older and he caught himself recalling his time in the sun more often than ever. He was the Sword of the Morning then, Aerys' deadliest knight, pride of the Kingsguard. All that changed when his best friend laid his eyes on Lyanna Stark. He knew Rhaegar perhaps even better than he knew himself and he saw how enchanted he was with the young she-wolf and he could not blame him. Arthur did not understand his friend's obsession at first but as he got to know her closer at the Tower of Joy, he could have loved her himself.

When he remembered the man he used to be, he could only smile. He never believed he could change that much. When he travelled to Winterfell as a guard to young Jon Targaryen, he was a knight of the kingsguard loyal to Aerys II Targaryen and he fooled himself for many years that it was all he is and ever will be. He could not pinpoint the exact moment when he started to realize how much more he actually is and how his life has changed; how much _he_ has changed. But he knew it all started with that bloody stubborn and honorable lord he now called a friend.

He fought side by side with Eddard, he supported him in every way he could and he watched as a young man who doubted himself way too much grew into a proud lord who was sure of himself. In many ways, the Lord of Winterfell reminded him of Rhaegar. He recalled how fondly Lyanna spoke of her family. She could talk for hours about them and no one was able to stop her. She loved them all fiercely but Arthur could tell that Eddard was her favorite. The relationship of these two wolves was so similar to his and Ashara's; he almost could not believe it.

They were strange, the Starks. So different from any other family Arthur ever knew. He realized that when he was yet with Lyanna and Ned Stark later proved him right. He got to see their life in Winterfell and in the North first handed and he grew to love them all. They were all devoted to each other, ready to sacrifice themselves for their family - true pack of wolves. Everyone had their place and no one was more important than the other. Arthur was truly glad in the end that Jon was raised here with his uncle, aunt and cousins. The Young Dragon could not hope for a better family and neither could Arthur. If anyone was worth serving to, it was the descendants of the ancient Kings of Winter.

There were even times when he regretted he did not try to convince Ned Stark to take the Iron throne for Jon. Ned would be a regent to Jon and even though he would hate it, the Seven Kingdoms would have a worthy ruler once again.

Yes, Arthur truly has changed and he was glad it was so because nothing gives a knight more satisfaction than to devote his life to those who are deserving of it.

Rhaegar would have made a king the realm could be proud of. It was almost unbelievable considering his father. Arthur was well aware of Aerys' true nature but he never allowed himself to speak ill of him, not even in his own mind. He was his king, after all but that does not mean Arthur was blind. The realm has seen hundred bad monarchs for one good. Rhaegar would be the one, of that Arthur was certain, but he was taken from this world because of love he held for a woman. Ned Stark would also be a good king, but he was a wolf, born to be a King of Winter not a King on the Iron throne.

Never before has Arthur realized that the two families were as two sides of a coin. Both as noble as they were ancient. The Starks were the oldest house in all of Westeros that protected the realm during the Long Night and every day since and the Targaryens managed to unite the Seven Kingdoms and turn it into one. They all made mistakes and every Stark and every Targaryen was only a human but the truth remains that there is magic in their blood. Two very different and very important kinds of magic. And Jon had both of them in him. Some people called Rhaegar the last dragon and that is what he was because his son was not only a dragon, he was a half wolf and that is what made him special, what made him better.

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**Author's Note**: Please, let me know what you think :). As I said countless times before - I appreciate any opinion :).

Ehm, the woman is not Ygritte nor Osha, actually. She's an OC - I don't usually like OCs much but I think Skagos should't be left out :) - I hope you'll like her :)

Once again, thank you all for your support :)


	11. Magic in their Blood

Hello :) .

Here we go again with yet another chapter :)

I'm really thrilled you guys like this - honestly I always thought my stories are bit of a bullshit :D

Enjoy! :)

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CHAPTER 12 – MAGIC IN THEIR BLOOD

Bran loved nothing more than to lie back in his bed, close his eyes and become one with Summer's mind. Before they found their wolves, he dreamed of knighthood, of being the best warrior the world has ever seen. Hell, he wanted to join ser Arthur and ser Barristan in being his cousin's kingsguard. Then he travelled away from Winterfell with his father, brother and cousin and that was when he found his Summer. That was four years ago and every day since he focused on his wolf instead of his dreams and as the fate would have it, his wolf found a way inside his dreams in the end.

He thought of them only as dreams at first, in was only after several months of him being in Summer's mind every night that he started to realize it may mean more. His siblings shared his dreams as he later found out and that was when he knew for certain it meant much, much more than he originally thought. Since then, he began to study every book on warging, analyze every story he has ever heard and practicing warging into Summer when he was awake and in time, he was capable to transform his mind into any animal and even into any person he wanted. None of his siblings could do _that_. His father used to joke that his children will create an invincible group. Robb and Jon with their leadership and strength, Sansa with her charms and manners of a queen, Arya with her cunningness, Bran with his warging abilities and Rickon with his wildness. The Stark children created truly a strange pack of wolves.

He was able to communicate with Summer using nothing else than his thoughts and he learned to do that even with the other wolves, thus he could communicate with his siblings also because they were connected to their wolves. The fighting arts were a beautiful thing but it could not compete with the ways of one's mind. Bran realized that fairly quickly and abandoned his dreams of knighthood and laurels; let others ride on their horses with swords at their belts into the sun, Bran Stark was never meant to be one of them, instead he was born to rule any mind he would choose.

He closed his eyes but warged into Grey Wind instead of Summer. The wolf was running a little ahead of his brother's horse, every now and then looking back to make sure his master was save. Robb was sitting on his horse, fully armed and with proud expression on his face. He had a little army of men around him as they rode for the coast to make sure their people are safe. Bran stopped Grey Wind and waited for Robb to catch him. His brother looked into his wolf's eyes and smiled knowingly.

"Getting bored in Winterfell, little brother?" he whispered.

Bran tried to nod but was not sure if the effect looked the same with a wolf as with a human.

"Well, stay close to Grey Wind's mind; I might need your help."

Bran would have smiled if he could. That was what he loved most in his brother. He was never shy to ask for his help and Bran was more than happy to provide council wherever he could.

Grey Wind howled and Robb petted his head with a small smile and within a second, his wolf's eyes were no longer green but yellow.

-.-

Robb was returning to his tent. He was dead tired and could not wait to get into bed. He spent a fortnight at the coast with his men but no attackers came. They helped the surrounding villagers to repair their damaged houses and raise defenses so they would be better protected if the raiders decided to attack again.

He entered his tent, threw his cloak on his bed and walked towards a small table. He needed to write a report to his father, first.

"Nothing interesting once more, father, are you glad you sent me here?" he told to himself quietly, a little disappointed. He was hoping the raiders would attack again and he, the heir of Winterfell, would show them the price for pillaging their lands. He wanted to prove himself in eyes of his father's bannermen and to show his father he was truly capable of taking care of himself. He knew his father thought very highly of him but Robb wanted more. He rubbed his face and started to look for a clean piece of parchment when he smelled something. His sense of smell was superior than before thanks to his connection with Grey Wind. He smelled wine and ale, a lot of it. He stood still as a statue when he heard it. It was a quiet footstep but a footstep for certain. Somebody was here, in his tent, right behind his back.

Robb closed his eyes. _Grey Wind_, he said in his mind and quickly tried to touch his wolf's mind. He did not have Bran's vast abilities, so he would have to focus much harder to be sure he made a connection with him but hopefully, his wolf heard him. He put his hand on a dagger that lay on a table and in one swift move he turned, cutting a throat of a man who stood closest to him. There were four more though and two of them had loaded crossbows. _This is not good,_ thought Robb.

"Gimme the dagger, boy," one man said.

"Come and get it," growled Robb.

The man laughed quietly. "Two crossbows are aimed at ya, I'd advised you'd do what I say and don't even think 'bout screaming for guards."

They were not here to kill him, Robb realized. He would be dead already if they were. They wanted him alive, why Robb did not know but if they want to capture him they will see one hell of a fight; that he did know.

He started to feel Grey Wind's presence. His wolf rushed to his aid and Robb was thankful once again to all the gods that they led them together. He closed his eyes and focused only on Grey Wind. It was never easy for Robb to truly warg into his wolf but after hours and hours of practicing and Bran's advices, he always managed it.

He ran inside the tent and jumped at the first man with a crossbow just as his human body fell to the ground. The others started to scream in terror as Robb in Grey Wind's body cracked the man's throat with his teeth. He quickly jumped on another man, killing him instantly. Only four men were no challenge for a ferocious direwolf.

Few guards came running into his tent just as the last two intruders dropped their weapons to the ground and started to move backwards from the growling wolf covered in blood. Robb's mind snapped back.

"Oh, gods," he groaned and tried to sit up. "I could have fallen better."

"Are you alright, m'lord?" Jory Cassel asked him as he knelt next to him. He looked truly worried about him. Poor Jory, Robb must have scared the hell out of him.

Robb nodded and the young soldier helped him up. He picked up his dagger from the ground and went towards the two men. "Who are you?" he asked in threatening voice.

"Don't… don't kill us, please," whined one of them. "We're only blacksmiths."

Robb pressed his dagger against the man's throat. "Since when do blacksmiths make attempts on a lord's life?" he growled.

"We… we needed the money."

"What money?"

"There… there… there's a bounty on yer head."

"Bounty? What bounty? Written by whom?"

"The King of Skagos, m'lord."

"Skagos is bound to Winterfell; there is no King of Skagos."

"There's a king now, m'lord. We declared ourselves a separate kingdom."

"Well, you will not be a separate kingdom for much longer," Robb said. "Why did he write a bounty on my head?"

"The crew you've slaughtered, the king's heir was a captain there. He put a price on every Stark, dead or alive, but you especially. He wants the North to lose an heir as well."

"How did you know who I am? You have never seen me before, how do you know I am the heir of Winterfell?"

Robb pressed his dagger closer to the man's throat when he did not speak, while Grey Wind growled, showing his sharp fangs. "Our king received information about how you look. You and your entire family; and your probable locations; he let everyone know."

"Who send him this information?"

"I don't know m'lord. We only needed the money, I swear."

"The heir, what did he look like?"

"It's a she, m'lord."

"She? But there was not…" Robb paused and closed his eyes. "Long light hair, blue eyes, pretty face and a tongue as a razor?"

"Aye, that's our princess."

Robb could only laugh at the irony of fate. Of course she was a king's daughter. She thought too much of herself and took too many liberties to be anything less.

"Put them in chains," he ordered his men. "And ready my horse, my father needs to hear of this as soon as possible."

-.-

Robb rode throughout the night as fast as he could towards Winterfell. Skagos rebelled once again and by a struck of luck, they held a Skagosi princess in captivity. It would seem they have the leverage to result this peacefully but they must act swiftly before every man in Skagos sets sails towards the North and try to assassinate every living Stark.

Robb could still taste the blood from Grey Wind's attack in his mouth. He hated that feeling. He loved his wolf dearly but he preferred them as two separate beings, instead of one. He knew Jon shared his opinion on warging but Bran, well Bran embraced his abilities. He loved to be inside Summer's mind or any animal for that matter. He could even enter a human's mind; though he never did it without permission. Robb once allowed him to enter his mind and it was the strangest feeling he ever had. He was in his own body but was dominated by someone else. His consciousness was pushed back by his brother who now controlled him. Robb thought that the wolves must have felt something similar when they warged into them and that was another reason why he was not very fond of the act. His other siblings did not share his reluctance towards warging but they did not practice it on such a scale as Bran. Arya loved to be one with Nymeria as well, but in a different way. She would rather ride on Nymeria's back throughout the North than to be inside her mind. Sansa has shown no affection towards warging also, Lady was a bit of a snuggling bunny for her, she was the calmest and sweetest wolf from her pack and she never moved away from Sansa and Rickon was still too young for his warging abilities to truly show; though he liked nothing more than to run next to his wolf anytime he could.

The sun just started to rise slowly when Grey Wind, who was far ahead of Robb stopped and started to howl. He must have spotted Winterfell. Within a second, Robb heard five more howls.

-.-

"Father, mother, wake up," said Bran when he dashed into his parents chambers. Both of them snapped from their peaceful sleep.

"What is it?" asked his father sleepily.

"Grey Wind is in Winterfell. Robb will not be far behind. Something has happened, I can feel it."

Both Eddard and Catelyn Stark jumped out of their bed, put their gowns on and followed their son to the square to meet Robb. Their entire family was there, awaiting their brother. They did not have to wait long before their eldest rode in on his horse, breathless.

Sansa jumped into her brother's arms. "Are you alright? You gave us quite a scare."

Robb gave her a little smile and kissed her on her cheek before he turned to his father. "You must send a raven to Skagos. They have rebelled again; declared themselves a separate kingdom. And the King has put a price on our heads."

"What? Why?" asked Catelyn.

"The raiders we killed, his heir was among them. He thinks her dead and he wants our heads to avenge her."

"Well, his heir_ is_ dead, we killed every man," Jon said.

"It was not a man, cousin. The King has a female heir."

"The woman you captured," said his father.

"Aye, it is she. Father, we must act now, otherwise there will be hundreds of Skaags on our lands soon, trying to kill every living Stark."

His father nodded and walked back towards the castle with his mother right behind.

-.-

"I want twice as many guards in and out of Winterfell. Nobody is entering the castle or even the Winter Town without you knowing it, understood?" ordered Ned to his son and nephew.

"Of course, uncle," said Jon.

"I must return to the coast, father. My men need me. Jon will take care of protection of the castle."

"You are not leaving Winterfell under any circumstances. Jory is on the coast, he will take command."

"No, you cannot do that," said Robb angrily.

"Excuse me?" growled Ned.

"I am sorry, father, I mean no disrespect but I cannot stay here. I was given command of those men and I will not abandon them."

"The command is taken from you then. You are to stay inside the castle and look after the safety of your mother and siblings. That is an order from your lord, young man."

"My lord has taught me that I should always look after my men. I have left to inform you but I will return to them."

"Robb, do not…" started Jon but was interrupted by his cousin.

"No! I am no coward and I will not stay hidden in my father's castle."

"There is a bounty on your head, you fool," his father said. "You are my heir; I will not risk your life so carelessly."

"Aye, I am your heir and I have to obey your orders, but tell me, father, what your men will think of their future lord hiding behind his mother's skirts? How am I supposed to lead them when they will think me some weakling?"

"You are no weakling," Ned said. "They all know it."

"Their minds can still change. You have given me a command and I need to see it until the end. I cannot stay."

"Yours and Jon's survival is imperative for the future of our house and the entire North. Threat of a continuance our war with Robert is hanging over our heads even as we speak and your brothers are still too young to lead the northerners. When Robert hears of Skagos' rebellion, he will not hesitate to strike against us once more, I guarantee you that."

"The King of Skagos will bow his knee to you when he finds out you have his daughter in captivity. The south will never know of this."

"We cannot know that," Jon said.

"Even so, I must return. You know I can take care of myself father. Besides, there are men who would die for me and Grey Wind will be always at my side."

Ned sighed. He knew he would have acted the same if he was in Robb's position and that it was the right thing to do for him as the future Lord of Winterfell but most of all, his son was a good, honorable man who would do absolutely anything for their people. Ned himself had taught him these values but how, by all the gods, is he supposed to let his own son undertake such a risk?

"Go for the coast then; yet I insist you take at least hundred more men with you."

"Father…"

"Otherwise, you are staying put."

Robb nodded.

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**Author's note**: So, what did you think? :)

Btw. My exams are coming :)... Slowly, but they are way to close already for my taste :D - damn! ... Anyway, I'll try to write as much as I'll be able to but in case I'll be buried beneath a pile of books - hang in there with me, I most certainly intent to continue :)


	12. Dragon's Doubts

Hi, guys :)

I have another chapter for you :) I'm sorry for the delay but it would seem my mind is refusing to work :D

Enjoy! :)

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CHAPTER 13 – DRAGON'S DOUBTS

"Oh, I have a new nanny. What happened to the pretty red-haired one?"

Jon turned his eyes as soon as she spoke. Robb was charged to take care of her before but as he departed for the coast, the duty fell to him. He laughed at Robb whenever the woman got on his nerves and the young heir turned even redder than his own hair, but gradually, he started to understand, how Robb must have felt. The woman was irritating. Every word she said managed to piss him to off to such scales he never experienced before.

"He is off, killing your men," Jon growled.

"Like he could do that. Such a little lordling is no match for my people," she snarled.

"You are not very capable fighters then, when a little lordling managed to kill four of your raiders."

She started to laugh. "There will be more, do not fear. Then, you and your precious wolfs will die, one after another."

"I highly doubt that. Some pathetic little Skaggs are no match to us; your father will bend his knee to my uncle once again as every leader of Skagos before him." Her smiled died on her lips and Jon felt a bit of satisfaction. "What is the matter, little princess? Did you think we will not find out who you actually are?"

"I am a wildling."

"You are a bad liar!"

She jumped from the chair she was sitting on and tried to slap Jon as hard as she could, but he managed to catch her hand before it fell on his face. Jon was almost shaking with anger. He did not understand how did this woman always managed to push the right buttons and drove him almost insane.

"Tell me, did you ever hear the stories that are told about me and my family? We are vicious animals who eat their enemies' hearts, we torture them, and we tear them limb from limb. Are you not afraid to try and strike such a man?"

Her smile was back on her lips. "You think I will piss myself with fear over made up stories as if I was some shy little lady from the flowery south? I am a northerner, I do not scare easily."

"As am I," said Jon. "We are of one land, of one blood. Why are you challenging Winterfell over and over again? We are all descendants of the First men, brothers and sisters; why are you insisting on a war between us?"

"We will not bow to your tyranny."

"Tyranny?" Jon laughed. "My uncle is the best thing that could happen to our lands. He is wise, caring, and honorable ruler who led the people of the North to prosperity. He is loved and respected by thousands. What is it he did you so despise?"

"Prosperity, you say? He led us into two wars during his time as a Lord of Winterfell and the second one is not even over yet. Hundreds of my people died and what for?" she asked him. Jon swallowed uneasily. "So that _you_ might live. How dare you to call yourself my brother?"

Jon started to slowly move backwards from her and his heart started to beat faster. He always knew he was the reason of their war with Robert but those around him, especially his uncle, spent many days convincing him that he was not to blame. _It is hardly your fault that Robert does not want you to live_, he told him once and Jon was more than happy to believe him but the feeling of blame was still buried inside of him, somewhere deep, hidden from the light of day. This woman managed to dig it up again; all his insecurities and doubts came screaming back to him.

-.-

The entire dining room was deadly quiet, only the clasping of silverware could be heard, as they ate. That was not very common, especially when all her children but one were present. She suspected they were all worried about Robb and the situation on Skagos but still. With her lord husband and Bran, it was not unusual. When they dined, Ned mostly ate quietly and listened to his children, while Bran was deep in thought most of the time, but Sansa, Jon and Arya were impossible to shut up when they were around each other and now, neither one of them said a single word.

"Is it something in the air?" she asked after a while. Every member of her family raised their eyes to meet hers. "Well, you are all sick, what other explanation is there? Not once in all these years were you actually quiet all at once."

"Sansa is probably few days ahead of us in her thoughts," Arya grinned.

"Arya," Sansa yelled.

"Why?" asked Bran. "Is there something planned that I do not know of?"

"No, nothing is planned," said Sansa.

"Oh, dear brother, have you not heard? Dom is returning from the Vale as we speak and…"

"Arya, stop it!"

"… and he heads for Winterfell."

"How on earth do you know that, Sansa?" asked Catelyn.

"He wrote her a letter."

"Do you always have to blab everything, Arya?" Sansa screamed, throwing her knife and fork at her plate.

"You are the one who told me, why are you so angry?"

"I told you in confidence."

"You should know better by now."

"Enough," said her lord husband firmly. Both of her daughters stopped yelling at each other. "Why is the heir of Dreadfort sending you letters, Sansa?"

"Why should he not, father? He is Robb's friend, why could he not be mine?"

"Why we do not know about it then?" asked Catelyn.

"It is my own correspondence and I assure you, mother, nothing inappropriate is in it. I do not see a reason why I should tell you about every single letter I receive."

"There are more suitors then, sister?" laughed Bran. "Perhaps we should beat them back with a stick."

"Shut your mouth," Sansa growled to her brother.

"Sansa, mind your language," said Catelyn.

"I am finished with my meal, may I leave?" Sansa asked in an angry voice. Ned sighed but nodded.

"I am sorry," mouthed Arya to her sister. Sansa gave her a nasty look and went out of the dining hall. Arya jumped from her seat and ran after Sansa. "I really thought they knew." Catelyn heard her younger daughter screaming.

"Now I am sorry I said anything," Catelyn spoke after a while.

"Well, they have not had an argument over a week, it was bound to happen," her husband smiled a little. "You should probably talk to her about Domeric Bolton, though. I doubt she would reveal anything to me."

"Of course, my love," Catelyn returned his smile. "Are you finished as well?" she asked the boys. Bran and Rickon nodded and left the hall as well.

"Jon, have you finished?" asked Ned. Their nephew did not say a single word the entire evening. He did not seem to hear him. Catelyn touched his hand gently and he looked at her a bit startled.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Are you alright, darling?"

Jon gave her a forced smile. "Yes, aunt Catelyn. I will leave now, if you will excuse me," he said and got up from his chair.

"Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes, I am perfectly fine. I will check the guards before I retire if you agree, uncle."

"Of course," replied Ned. Jon turned from them and departed the dining hall. Ned and Cat exchanged confused looks.

-.-

Jon was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. How could he? He still heard her words in his head. _How dare you to call yourself my brother_? He was, was he not? His mother was a Stark, a descendant of the First men. He had her blood in him and he was raised by the Lord of Winterfell as a true northerner. Yet what she said was true. What man would willingly let his people die so that he may live?

The door to his chamber opened. He did not need to look there to know who it is. His visitor rarely knocked.

"Sansa will never speak to me again," pouted Arya, jumping next to him on his bed. "I really thought father and mother knew about her correspondence with Domeric but she does not believe me. What should I do?"

"I am sleeping, Arya, get out of my bedroom."

Arya turned her eyes. "Hello, I have a real problem here. For the first time in my life I have actually found a common ground with my only sister and now I screwed up. So I ask you, what should I do?"

"Do not screw up."

Arya grimaced at him. "What a great advice, cousin. Have you ever thought about doing it professionally?"

Jon turned his back to her. "I said I am sleeping. Please, leave."

"What is the matter with you? Have someone pushed a stick up your…"

"Arya!"

She put both her hands on his shoulder and used all her strength to pull him around so she could face him.

"Jon," she said in serious voice. "What happened?"

There was no more mocking or irony in her voice, only pure concern. Jon tried to smile at her.

"Nothing, I am just tired is all," he shrugged.

"You really think you can lie to me? I know you too well. Tell me what is troubling you."

"Arya, I want to be alone."

"You know I am not leaving until you tell me."

Jon sighed dramatically and closed his eyes. Arya tensely waited for what he will tell her, but he said nothing. Instead, he started to pretend snoring.

"Idiot," she growled and punched him in his shoulder.

Jon laughed a little.

She gave him a serious look. "Please, Jon. Something is obviously on your mind, I want to know. I want to help you."

Jon sat up in his bed and pulled his little cousin into his embrace. "I appreciate that yet I doubt you can help me," he said kissing her hair.

"Well, even if it is true, you can still share your troubles."

"My mind is preoccupied, sweet cousin. I cannot bring myself to think about anything else than the war your father had to fight for my life."

She looked up to see into his eyes. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why? I am in the middle of it all. I am the sole reason we are at war. I am the reason why hundreds of northerners never returned to their families."

"Nonsense. Father has told you over and over, it is not your fault."

"Aye, he did but that does not make it true. He only said it to make me feel better."

"Again, nonsense. First of all, father never lies and second of all, our war falls on the head of Robert Baratheon. Father gave him many chances to stop it and he ignored them all."

"Because of me."

"Aye, because of you but what right does he have to ask your head? Why would you not deserve a chance to live? Because of who your father was? Because he still thinks your father abducted your mother and forced himself on her?"

"He is the King," Jon said in disgust. "He can demand any head he wants."

"Kings and lords come and go. King Aerys demanded father's head after he killed Rickard and Brandon and how did he end up?"

"He lost the throne to Robert."

"The Seven Kingdoms turned into one. It is a very nice and noble idea but one thing the Targaryens forgot is that each of those kingdoms were once free with their own king. Many royal houses were wiped out at the War of Conquest but few of them survived. We survived thanks to Torrhen Stark's foresight. He knew he could not defeat the dragons, so instead he bent the knee to protect his people. I am certain he knew how the history will see him – as a King who knelt – yet he did it anyway, to protect those he loved. He disgraced himself for them. What could you expect from us when you murder or threaten to murder our blood, then? If our history taught us anything, it is that the Starks protect each other by any means necessary and no one, not even the King on the Iron throne has the right to demand the blood of the ancient Kings of Winter."

Arya paused for a second to catch her breath. She spoke fiercely while her cousin looked at her in awe. "Aerys demanded father's head because he feared retribution from the northerners and he was right to fear. Robert was there, he knew how father responded – with swords – and on top of that, he knew father since they were young boys. There could not be one doubt in his thick head what father would do the second he will demand your head and he asked for it anyway. So if anyone is to blame for the war, it is Robert Baratheon."

Jon smiled at her sincerely. "Thank you," he said and kissed her head again.

Arya returned his smile. "We all love you, Jon, you know that. You are a sixth child for the Lord and Lady of Winterfell and for the rest of the North. There may be some people who will blame you but you cannot let that to hurt you because there will still be thousands men and women who would lay down their lives for you. You want to repay them by sulking because of some idiots who think differently?"

"No, of course not," answered Jon. "I cannot help it, though. Sometimes, I feel so guilty and nothing I do can change that."

"It must be hard, I know. Try and keep in mind how much we love you, how much the people of the North love you. No one has the right to judge you, especially those that do not know you; you are a kind, brave, and proud young man who has done so much for the North already and I know you will do more."

"When did you get to be so smart?" he grimaced jokingly. Arya laughed and punched him in his shoulder again. Jon smiled widely and hugged her again. "Thank you, Arya."

"Can you promise me something?" she mumbled in his embrace.

"Anything."

"We do not know what future the gods hold for us, but if you will ever sit on the Iron throne, promise you will be a good king. Promise me you will remember all mistakes your ancestors ever did and you will learn from them."

Jon stroked her cheek. "I would bring the world to you if I could but this is something I cannot promise. How can I know I will not be struck by the same madness Aerys was? I have his blood as well, after all."

Arya smiled. "Aye, you have his blood but you have my blood as well and gods help me, I will kick your behind if you will go all crazy, do you understand me?"

Jon laughed. "I expect nothing less."

.

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**Author's note:** I hope you liked it :). Please, let me know what you think. :)

Once again, thank you for your support :)

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Update :D - I only wanted to correct the mistakes :) - Aiur - thanks for pointing that out :)


	13. United

Here we go again :)

Enjoy! :)

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CHAPTER 13 – UNITED

Catelyn stopped in front of a wooden door and took a deep breath. Ser Arthur stood right behind her with his hands leaned on his belt. She looked at the man she trusted like only a few others and then entered the chamber they were standing in front of.

The woman her son and nephew captured was sitting on a chair right next to a window and she was dreamily looking outside. Arthur stopped at the door, prepared to protect his lady if it should be needed. Catelyn coughed a little to get her attention.

She was still looking from the window when she spoke. "What do you want?"

"I would expect better manners from a princess," Catelyn said a bit mockingly.

She gave Catelyn a hateful look. "If you are looking for royal manners, feel free to leave. I am nothing else than a prisoner here."

"Then, perhaps we should put you in chains," Catelyn retorted.

"Do as you see fit."

"What is your name?" Catelyn asked.

"What difference does it make?"

"Can we not be at least a bit civil?"

"Lillian. My name is Lillian," she said. "Do you feel better now that you know my name?"

"Well, Lillian, I came to inform you that your father is on his way to Winterfell."

"Why? Does he not think me dead?"

"He did but now he knows you still live and he is on his way to you."

"You will trade me to him, will you not?"

"You will be free, if your father will have enough reason to bend the knee to my lord husband."

"He will never do that," she growled. "I would rather die than to see him bend a knee."

"You would die before you would see him kneel but does _he_ feel the same? Will he rather see you dead than bend his knee?"

If looks could kill, Catelyn would be dead hundred times over. She only smiled to Lillian's murderous expression.

"Of course not," Catelyn answered to her own question. "Our children are our only weakness, for most of the people anyway."

"Why are you here? Have you come to gloat?" Lillian growled. "To rub my nose in my father's humiliation?"

"My son almost died because of you and your father. My eldest, my husband's heir. Thankfully for you, I do not hold grudges nor does my husband and my son. We want to offer you an advantageous agreement. Profitable for both sides, hopefully."

"What kind of agreement?"

"Better than you deserve in my opinion. You have rebelled against your lord after all. Common punishment for such crime is death."

"Would you speak the same if King Robert defeated your husband?" she asked mockingly. Catelyn narrowed her eyes. "Of course not, Lady Stark. You would suck cock of every man in Robert's army to save your life."

"Shut your mouth," Arthur said threateningly. "How dare you to speak to her like that?"

Catelyn only waved at ser Arthur and gave Lillian an arrogant smile. She looked at her provocatively as if she was testing what Catelyn would do. "I would slit Robert's throat myself if he would hurt my husband or any of my children and I would not hesitate to achieve it even by sucking cocks, as you have put it."

Lillian laughed loudly. "Are you sure you are a southerner? You do not speak like one."

"I have raised six northern children; five of them came from my belly. There is little of south left in me."

Lillian laughed again. "Impressive. You and I might get along after all. A little bit at least."

"You do not have a high opinion of the south, do you?"

"I have no reason to think of them highly."

-.-

"He has made quite a few subtle propositions on our way here," Robb said.

"He knows he has to bow to your father, so he is trying to make the best of it." Catelyn answered. "Would you not do the same?"

"Aye, I would. It does not change the fact that I am not really sure about this, though."

Catelyn put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him kindly. "You do not have to do this. We can find another way how to appease them. You know your father would never ask this of you, had you not come up with it yourself."

"I know that but what else can we do? Anything less than the heir of Winterfell would be an insult."

"There is no need for any marriage at all. I am certain we can think of something to ensure the so called King of Skagos will not rise against us again."

"What? Do you have any ideas?"

Catelyn looked down at the table they both sat at. "No," she admitted. "Not right now."

Robb looked away from his mother. He searched the main hall filled with celebrating people to find Lillian. Robb left Winterfell right after his fight with his father and guarded the coast from other possible attacks. He was not there long when his father informed him that the King of Skagos wants to meet with them. He waited for him and accompanied him to Winterfell right after he had arrived on the coast, to settle the animosity between them. His father arranged a grand feast on the day they arrived in the castle. It was a gesture of good will. Every lord and lady of the North was invited to be witness when the Starks and the Skaggs settle their differences once and for all.

He laid eyes on her at last. She was dancing with one of her father's men right in the middle of the room. Her loose hair flied around her face as she bounced enthusiastically around him with a wide smile. He has never seen her smile like this. Whenever he was with her there was nothing but anger, resentment, mockery and disdain in her face. She was dressed in a very beautiful dress, even more beautiful than Sansa's.

"A lot of people had grown to hate her and who can blame them? She can be rather unpleasant. What will _they_ say about the marriage?"

"I think there is much more to her, Robb. Her behavior, her manners, it all seems as an act."

"What do you mean?"

"I am not certain. I just feel there is something we do not yet know. When I talked to her I had this nagging feeling that she is testing me somehow."

Robb shrugged at his mother's words. "Well, I know better than to doubt you but I cannot say I agree with you, mother."

Catelyn watched Lillian thoughtfully before she spoke again. "She is rather beautiful, is she not?"

"Aye, she is beautiful but also very irritating," Robb answered.

Catelyn laughed. "Your father can be irritating sometimes and yet I love him more than my own life and I know he feels the same way about me."

"You think I can have that?"

"I know you_ will_ have that, my son. Be it with her or just a simple village girl."

"How can I marry a simple village girl? Father's philosophy has a lot of flaws," Robb laughed a little. "He has given us the freedom to marry whomever we choose but how can _I_ do that? How can I marry just anybody when everyone around us thinks they have a say in the matter?"

"Your father fears you would share the fate of his siblings if he would order you to marry someone. He would pacify his bannermen to accept any woman you would choose, do not fear."

"He did not order me to marry her but he has raised me to be responsible. To be aware of the things I must do. Right now, I must marry her to avoid yet another war even though some may not like it."

"Is there any affection towards her in you at all?"

"What does it matter? This will be a purely political marriage."

"Political marriages can turn out to be very genuine ones but there must be something more from the very beginning. Do you feel something around her?"

"Yes," Robb said. "I feel the need to kill her when I am around her."

"That is not quite what I meant," Catelyn laughed. "Do you desire her?"

"Mother…"

"Oh, please. I carried you in my belly, I have given birth to you, and I fed you from my own breasts. I think you can tell me whether you desire a girl or not."

Robb turned his eyes a little. "Yes, mother. I desire her," he said through gritted teeth.

Catelyn smiled. "Well then, you have the foundation. Now, you must build on it but do not expect it will be easy."

-.-

Robb was sitting next to Jon, sharing ale with him. From what he could tell, Jon was even less happy about his marriage than Robb was. His father gave him an important look. He inhaled nervously and nodded to him. Lord Eddard Stark stood up from his chair and offered his hand to his lady wife who accepted it and stood up to be by his side.

"My friends," he said strongly and every man, woman and child in the room fell quiet to hear what their lord had to say. "My beloved lady and I would like to welcome you in our castle for such a glorious occasion. We are gathered here to witness a truly historic moment. We are all people of the North, the descendant of the First men, but for too long we have been divided. There has been a ceaseless conflict between the Starks of Winterfell and the people of Skagos that now comes to a long awaited end," he paused and smiled at his son.

Robb stood up as well and slowly went to stand before his future bride. "Let there be peace between us once and for all. I, Robb of House Stark, the heir of Winterfell and future Warden of the North, ask you, Lady Lillian of Skagos, for your hand in marriage. Let us seal our bond in front of eyes of the Old Gods and rule together as husband and wife to bring peace and prosperity to our lands."

Lillian looked a bit startled but not at all surprised. "I accept your offer, Lord Robb of House Stark," she said after a while of dead silence.

-.-

"It would seem we are to be one family," Willam, the King of Skagos, said as he sat down beside Ned at the main table.

"So it would seem. Our shared grandson will be a Lord of Winterfell one day."

"Or our granddaughter," he replied.

Ned looked at him with interest. "Those are Dornish laws, not ours."

"The Northmen has made their own rules in many ways. Why not in this regard as well? I myself have three daughters and I am as proud of each and every one of them as I possibly can. Do not tell me you see your girls as something less than your sons."

"Never!"

"Yet you would not make them your heirs, would you?"

"My eldest child is a son. I cannot make either of my daughters my heir even if I wanted to."

"I merely ask what would you do if Robb had been born a girl? Would he be your heir still?"

"I do not know. I never thought about it."

"Think about it then."

"Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because I am curious, Lord Stark. Do you know the legend of Bael the Bard? Well, of course you do. It concerns your house after all. House Stark was at the edge of extinction, they say. Brandon had no sons and it seemed his name would die with him, until his daughter returned with a bastard in her arms. A bastard that inherited Winterfell. He did have a daughter but he jumped over her in favor of a bastard."

"It was _her_ child. What difference does it make?"

"A bastard nevertheless. He should have made her his heir; she would be a Lady of Winterfell, bear legitimate children and they would inherit after her."

"If you honor female heirs so, why have you agreed on the match between our children? She is your eldest; surely you want her to lead your people after you."

"I will make other arrangements."

"This was your plan all along, was it not?" Ned asked. "You wanted your daughter, your blood, to rule the entire North, not only Skagos. You knew I could not afford to go into an open conflict with you and you took advantage."

"And what if I did? Would that change anything?" he asked a bit mockingly. "I only want the best for our people and I think me and my daughter can be a great help to you."

"You plotted to overthrow me."

"I wanted to know what you would do and whether you truly have what it takes to protect those who depend on you; it was no vanity of mine that lead me to it. You have surely heard what is happening beyond the Wall. Dead are rising again and we must stand together to survive."

"This was some kind of test? What right do you have to question me?"

"I have every right to question you as one of the men who you have pledged to lead. We must stand together but I will not bow to a man who is not worthy of it in my eyes."

"I have been a lord for years, why now?"

"Why would I care who rules the North when I have a little contact with the land? There was no mortal danger before. If the White walkers truly came back, then we need to be united."

"Do you deem me worthy then? Or have I failed your test?" Ned asked a bit vainly.

"I would not be here if you would have failed."

"How kind of you," Ned said ironically.

Willam laughed. "There is no need for hostility anymore; I want us to be allies now, my lord. Our children will seal that. And to prove my loyalty as your ally, I feel the need to inform you that you have a traitor in your midst."

"What do you mean?"

"When I thought my Lillian is dead, I sought revenge for a while, I admit that. I received a raven from some man, a Lord most likely, where he offered me an alliance and as a sign of good will, he added the description of every member of your family and your probable locations."

"Why should I believe you this? How can I know you are not only planting a seed of mistrust between me and my lords?"

"I admit I gave you little reason to trust me thus far but I am telling the truth. How else would any Skagosi know how you look? We do not leave our island much; none of us ever saw any of you."

"Words travel fast, even to Skagos."

"We are to be a family, Lord Stark, and I honor my family – you can be certain about that."

Ned sighed. "Do you have any idea who it might have been?"

"No. You should be careful about who you trust, though."

"I agree and I think I will start with you."

Willam laughed. "As long as you will continue with others."

.

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**Author's note:** I hope you liked it. :) Please, let me know what you think :)


	14. Rare Visitor

Enjoy! :)

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CHAPTER 14 – RARE VISITOR

The crypts beneath Winterfell were a beautiful place. Very sad and kind of depressing but so beautiful. When he was little, he and Robb used to hide here, pretending they were the Kings and Lords who were buried here and that they have risen from their graves to save the realm of men. As he got older, though, he understood that the crypts were no place for playing games. It was a place of remembrance. Every tomb stone belonged to a man that was special in some way and who devoted his life to the North and its people, so that they might live on. As he walked through, around familiar statues of his ancestors, he tried to recall all he ever heard of them. Only a King or a Lord had the right to be portrayed in a statue with a sword in their lap and a wolf by their side but at the end, there were two statues that did not belong to a King or a Lord. There was his uncle who he never got know and his mother who was allowed to spend only a few minutes with him when he was born, both stood at each side of his grandfather, Lord Rickard Stark. His grandfather who was murdered by his other grandfather.

"Hello, mother," he smiled sadly. "Grandfather, uncle." He bowed his head to each statue.

He spent countless hours in the crypts, staring at his mother's likeness, every time he laid eyes on her, hundreds of questions started do attack his mind. Is this really the way she looked like? What was she like? What kind of relationship she had with people around her? His uncle has told him a lot about her but Jon knew he did not like to talk about her much. His uncle was probably the strongest man he has ever known yet whenever his sister was mentioned, Jon could see unshed tears in his eyes. It warmed his heart to know he loved her so and at the same time, it hurt all the more that he never got to know her.

"How long have you been here?" he heard a soft whisper.

"Couple of hours, maybe. I do not know," he answered in hushed tone. He was sitting on the cold ground now, staring at his mother's face. His uncle put a hand on his shoulder and sat beside him. "I do not want to leave just yet."

"I know."

"Do you miss them?"

"Every day."

Jon smiled a little. He had a strong bond with his uncle. He was like a father to him but he always made sure that Jon never forgot his real father. They stayed at the same position for a while longer and when they stood up and looked at the three statues one last time, Jon felt a single tear escape his eye and fall down his cheek. _If only you would live and I would not_, he thought bitterly. His uncle put his arm around his shoulder, as if he knew exactly what he was thinking.

They started to walk back in silence. It was only when they were close to the exit that Jon spoke again.

"Do you miss Robert as well?" he asked. His uncle looked at him questioningly. "You rarely speak of him but I know he was like a brother to you; you grew up with him after all. I know I would have missed Robb if we were in your position."

"I do miss Robert sometimes. I miss the Robert I knew when I was yet a young man; the man that sits on the Iron throne is not him, though."

"I wonder what he is like."

"He is not that different from any other man, I imagine."

Jon looked at him with another question written in his eyes. His uncle smiled at him and nodded to get him to continue.

"Do you resent Aerys for what he has done?"

"Of course I do. He killed my father and brother without a cause, how could I not? He claimed they died because of their treacherous intentions. Brandon rode for King's Landing and yelled for your father's head, true, but he was but a boy at that time. A boy who loved his sister and did not want to see her hurt. He never thought his action through but is that a reason to die?"

"No."

"I feel resentful sometimes, Jon. It is only natural. None of us wish to see our loved ones getting hurt – it is always easier to risk yourself than watch others doing it. That is the reason I did not want to let Robb go for the coast. That is the reason I marched south with my army after Aerys killed my father and brother. That is the reason why I spent so many months looking for your mother. That is the reason why I stood up against Robert. Nonetheless, you cannot let that feeling consume you. Gods has decided our fates long before we were even born and we can do only little about it. Grieve them, miss them but do not die with them."

-.-

Jon sat on a small wall next to the training yard, watching his cousins spar. Bran's training was not easy. He had lost interest in fighting all together when he realized he was a skinchanger but his father still insisted on his training. He needed to be able to take care of himself without relying on Summer. He was not a bad fighter but he did not want to fight. Also, whenever his opponent accidentally hurt Bran, Summer got a bit aggressive and when they locked him somewhere, the wolf did not stop howling for a second – which was why after a while only Jon and Robb were willing to spar with Bran.

"Tighten the grip on your sword, Bran," Robb said.

"And hold your shield higher," Jon added.

Bran did as they told him and successfully covered Robb's attack.

"Yes, very good," Robb complimented him. "Now let's try again."

Jon smiled at them but they were both too absorbed into training. He looked longingly at the sword laid beside him. He only got to fight with Dark Sister once, when they attacked the Skagosi raiders right after he received his sword. He remembered how light she felt in his hand, as if she was only a piece of feather, and how the sunlight reflected off her. It was a delight to hold her and even better was to fight with her.

He heard a noise behind him and he turned to see at the square of the castle. He smiled as soon as he saw couple of riders dismount their horses. He pinned his sword to his belt and jumped up to go greet them.

"Well, look who has finally remembered his old friends," he laughed.

"I have decided to leave the sea for a while and grace you with my delightful presence."

"Feel free to leave then." Both men laughed and hugged each other. "Welcome, Theon."

Theon inhaled deeply and patted Jon on his back. "It is good to be back," he said enthusiastically. "I understood I need to congratulate your cousin."

"I would not if I were you."

Theon laughed. "What is the matter, friend? Do you not like your cousin's bride-to-be?"

"Not one bit," admitted Jon. "Not that it matters, the marriage between them is a necessity. What about you, though? What made your royal highness leave his ship and come here between mere mortals?" Jon said jokingly.

Theon smiled a little, put his hand around Jon's shoulders and looked at the ground. "Do you remember what you asked of me last time I was here?"

Jon looked at him in anticipation. "Of course I do. Have you found out something?"

"Indeed I have," Theon nodded but before he could continue, they heard Robb's booming voice.

"Theon Greyjoy!" his cousin shouted.

"We will talk later," Theon said and went to greet the heir of Winterfell with a wide smile.

-.-

Jon was anxious for the rest of the day. Theon returned to visit Winterfell after several months on his ship and everyone in his family wanted to welcome him properly, thus he was not left alone for one second. Theon was a ward of his uncle since he was a little boy – King Balon has asked him to foster his youngest son as a sign that their alliance is only growing stronger. Theon grew up among them as their brother and he was intended to rule a holdfast on land near the Iron Islands which was the _actual_ reason why Balon asked Eddard Stark to foster him – Balon was a King of the sea but he knew little about ruling and protecting a holdfast that was not surrounded by rocks and water. Theon was drawn to the sea, though, just as every Greyjoy. His two brothers and sister were given ships as true Ironborns and he wanted the same. Jon knew he was very fond of them all but he had little interest in ruling on land, he wanted to cruise the open sea as a captain of a ship filled with warriors, he wanted his sails to be feared throughout the entire world. After hours and hours of urging from his youngest son, Balon finally gave up and awarded him with his own ship and crew and ever since, Theon barely ever left the deck. And when he did, it was only for a couple of days.

Jon had to go visit Theon in his chamber late at night. He supposed Theon will be alone. He was very mistaken. He had not seen his friend in a long time and he has almost forgotten how fond he is of young pretty girls. Theon laid on his bed with a wide smile, wrapped around one girl, while other two were sitting next to them on his bed, kissing.

Jon turned his eyes as soon as he entered. "Three? Really?" he asked wearily.

Theon laughed. "Do you want one or what? Girls, go show the Dragon Prince what you can do with your tongues."

Both girls approached Jon but he stopped them with a wave of his hand. "Do you even know how many kitchen maids my uncle had to send away when their bellies started to swell? You must have fathered at least a dozen of Snow's; can you not keep it in your pants?" Jon asked with annoyance.

Theon laughed again. "You are one of a kind, you and Robb. I would think you were eunuchs if I did not know better."

"I think both me and Robb only have a healthy respect towards women which is something you will never understand."

"Well, I cannot help it, my friend. After all, I have spent months on my ship with only a few women and you get tired of them after a while."

"We can always castrate you," Jon said mockingly.

"Very funny," Theon retorted. "Why are you here anyway? Should you not be in your chambers sleeping with your wolf?"

"You know why I am here, Theon," Jon said solemnly.

Theon's smile disappeared as he ordered the girls to leave them alone. He stood up from his bed and put on his breeches before he went to pour them both a glass of wine. He offered Jon a cup and they both sat down, facing each other.

"I was raiding near Volantis when I came across my uncle Euron," Theon started. "He was banished from the Iron Islands by my father years ago and since, he sailed to so many places. I would dare to say he visited more places than anyone ever. He knows Essos better than the back of his hand. We spent several weeks together and he told me many stories from his travels."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jon sighed.

"I am getting to the point, you impatient prick," Theon growled. "He told me he spent some time in the Dothraki Sea and that there was a certain khalasar that had a queen like no other. A queen with silver hair that goes by the name of Daenerys Stormborn."

"Is she really a Targaryen?" Jon asked nervously.

"From the description he gave me, she resembles you quite a lot. We all know that queen Rhaella escaped King's Landing with her younger son and a child in her belly – it may be her."

"Do you know if the usurper tried to kill her as well? Does he even know she lives?"

"I heard there were some assassins but her khalasar managed to protect her. Robert knows of her but you are a far greater threat to him than she is, so he stays focused on you."

"What about Viserys? Is he with her?"

"I think so. I heard he sold her to that Khal in return for his army."

"What?" Jon shrieked.

"It is only stories, Jon, rumors, nothing more."

"Tell me anyway," Jon said.

Theon sighed. "I have heard of them both not only from my uncle but from different men I have met in inns and brothels. Supposedly, he wants to retake the Iron throne for himself, he dismisses your existence completely."

"And he sold his sister to gain a Dothraki army?"

"That is what I was told but apparently, the Khal does not want to go in Westeros. No Dothraki ever sailed across the Narrow Sea and he is not in a rush to change that."

Jon closed his eyes. "I cannot believe that."

Theon patted his shoulder. "You should stop trying to seek them out, you have your family right here, what do you need them for?"

"They are my family as well, Theon," Jon sighed and rubbed his face. "They know about me then?"

"I think they know about you, they have _some_ contacts in Westeros after all, and they have made no effort in trying to find you, why do you?"

"You cannot know that, you only think so. Perhaps they do not know I live or perhaps they do and they did try to contact me but did not succeed. The North is well protected after all," Jon said hopefully.

Theon looked at him skeptically. "If you say so."

"It is possible," Jon pouted.

"Yes, it is possible but unlikely."

Jon closed his eyes again. "When are you returning on your ship?" he asked.

"I think I will stay for Robb's wedding and then I will leave again."

"Would you do me another favor, friend?"

Theon sighed again. "What favor?"

"Would you visit the Dothraki Sea and…"

"No, Jon!"

"Please, Theon," Jon said desperately. "I have to know. I ask you as a man you grew up with."

Theon angrily stood up from his chair. "You are the most annoying princling I have ever met," he growled while pacing around the room. "I am not some gold fish that will grant you three wishes, you know."

"No, you are a kraken who will grant me three wishes," Jon laughed.

"I have promised you I will ask about your father's family on my ways, I did not sign up for a suicide mission."

"It is not a suicide mission; you will go there peacefully, will you not? I would not ask this of you if I had any other choice. I would go myself if I could. You have heard about what is happening beyond the wall, I need to stay to protect my people. Besides, my uncle would never let me leave the North; I would probably die within a week by a hand of some assassin."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Try to contact them in my name."

"Have you not been listening? Viserys wants the throne for himself – he may not know about you yet, you were right about that, but if I would tell him there would be yet another man who would want you dead."

"Well, one more man will not make that much of a difference. Besides, you could try and contact only Daenerys."

"Without getting killed? How am I supposed to contact a Khaleesi?"

"If you will not find a way, Theon Greyjoy, no one will," Jon smiled a little.

"If I die because of this, I will come back to haunt you."

"I know," Jon laughed. "One piece of advice, though. Do not fuck every girl in your sight when you are there."

"Shut up," Theon growled.

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**Author's note:** Well? :) What did you think? :) ... Every single comment/favorite/follower is appreciated :)


	15. In the Presence of the Gods

Hello :)

I'm so so so sorry this one took so long ...

As I've said before - things are a bit crazy at school and on top of everything, we just got a new puppy a week ago :). So my entire world is centered around studying and that little annoying crazy puppy :) .

I'm not very fond of this particular chapter - I feel I could've done much better job but right now I'm out of ideas as well as time and I didn't want to make you wait even longer :)

So, here it is, I still hope you'll enjoy it! :)

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CHAPTER 15 – IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GODS

"Why are you staring at her like that?" Robb growled when he noticed the look his friend was giving his sister.

"Like what?" Theon asked innocently.

"Like you wanted to rip her dress off right here in the middle of the main hall. I have told you countless times before, Greyjoy, my sisters are off limits for you."

"Oh, and she is not off limits for that Bolton guy?" Theon snarled and nodded towards the couple. Domeric stood way too close to Sansa to Robb's dislike and was leaned towards her as if he was telling her all the secrets in the world while Sansa blushed and gave him one smile after another.

"I dare say he hates any man who comes near Sansa," grinned Jon. "He is very overprotective brother."

"And you are not?" Robb growled in response. "What did you do when that blacksmith's boy started to fancy Arya?"

Jon blushed a bit and did not answer.

"Oh, that's right; you beat the hell out of him on the training yard."

"I did not beat the hell out of him," Jon defended himself.

"You made him cry!"

Neither of the Stark girls lacked suitors but whenever anyone came near them, their brother and cousin did a great job in pushing them away. It was what they did. They studied with Maester Luwin, trained with ser Rodrik, ser Arthur and ser Barristan; they fulfilled Lord Stark's orders and they took care of their people needs and with all that, they also managed to drive away every man that took interest in Sansa or Arya. No one was good enough for them in their eyes.

Theon laughed at the looks the two of his best friends were giving each other. "For a while there, I thought I missed your bickering but now that I actually hear you, it gets on my nerves once again," he said with a large smile.

"Seek a woman's companion then," said Jon. "Or have you bedded them all?"

Theon grimaced. "That is not your concern."

"And that means yes," Robb laughed.

"You should stop laughing to me and go spend some time with your lovely bride-to-be," said Theon.

"Lovely, right," Jon snorted. "He is right, though. You are to be married in a fortnight; you should spend some time with her."

"Is it wrong that I do not actually want to?"

"Yes," answered Theon.

Jon looked at his cousin sympathetically. "Perhaps you will grow to like her."

"Mother says that if I will try hard enough I might even end up loving her. I am not so sure about that, though."

"Everything is possible," shrugged Jon. "We never know what the gods have in store for us. Beside, you may not like her all that much but she will bear your children. You are going to be a father thanks to this marriage, is it not worth it?"

"I suppose. I never thought about it like that," Robb smiled a little. "I do not even know if I am prepared to be a father."

"Prepared or not, it is going to happen, Young Wolf," Theon grinned. "There will be yet another young pup running around fairly soon, I imagine."

-.-

Arthur stood right next to a wall, watching all the commotion in the main hall when they held yet another feast. The wedding was planned for the next day and Arthur would swear that at least half the North, the Riverlands and the Vale was present right here in the middle of Winterfell. He was never much fond of feasts and celebrations because most of the time, there was not much to celebrate and this was exactly the case.

He stood in Winterfell but he was in another place and another time in his mind. He saw the halls of King's Landing, he saw thousands of celebrating people, he saw the royal family, that now laid under the ground, with serious expressions, as they held a feast in honor of the crown prince and his wife-to-be, Elia Martell. He could recall the evening as if it was yesterday. King Aerys seemed absent-minded, queen Rhaella broken with life and the young prince sad and hopeless. Arthur doubted that anyone other than him and those closest to them saw their true emotions behind their courteous smiles. Rhaegar grew fond of Elia after a while but he never wanted to be married to her, not that that would stop his father. How many lives could have been saved if only that marriage did not take place? Thousands but especially the one that was most important to Arthur, Rhaegar's.

The Young Wolf looked way too similar to Rhaegar as he sat next to the woman he was supposed to marry the very next day. Arthur loved the young Stark as if he was his own son and it hurt him more than he could say to see him like this. He could not even imagine how his parents must have felt. It was his idea, true, but that did not make it right.

He turned to leave. He could not watch, not for a second time. He could not witness another pointless political marriage that will probably lead to their devastation.

"Stay," he heard a quiet voice.

He leaned on the wall again, refusing to look at his friend. "How can you let him do this?"

"It was his choice."

"So what? You know just as well as I do that he does not want to do this."

"Thousands of people are trapped in political marriages."

"What do I care about other people? I care about him!"

"Do you think I am happy about this?" Ned barked. "He is my son! I have loved him with all my heart since the day Catelyn put him in my arms for the very first time. He is a part of me and I would give up everything for his happiness."

"Why, then? Why are you letting him do this?"

"He did what he thought right; he did what must have been done and he chose to do it all by himself. I cannot tell him what to do for the rest of my life and even if I did, I would tell him to marry her for the common good. He is my heir and he needs to do what is right for our people because that is what this all about. Our people, they must come first always. Every peasant wishes to be a lord, to live in a castle and to have his belly full – that is all they think lordship is about. I on the other hand wish more than anything to be a simple peasant. I might be starving and working from sunrise to sunset but my children would be happy and free to think only about themselves and not thousands others."

Arthur finally looked at his friends face. He has learned how to read in the icy eyes years ago. "I always thought you different from other lords."

"I always wished my children would marry for love and be happy but we rarely get what we wish. There are much worse things than to be married to a pretty girl. He may not love her but how can we think about love now? Between Robert, wildlings and the darkness that arises beyond the Wall, how important is one loveless marriage?"

"Little," Arthur admitted.

"I ask nothing of my children that I would not do myself."

"I see Rhaegar in him tonight," he said in soft voice. "I see Rhaegar, Elia and Lyanna and I fear that history will repeat itself. I know it is unlikely and that this is a completely different situation but no matter how hard I try to push these thoughts back, I see them as if they were standing right in front of me."

Ned looked at the ground. "My children sharing their fate; that is something that haunts me ever since my sister died in my arms."

Arthur smiled sadly. "I suppose we shall never be free from their ghosts."

"No, I suppose not but that does not mean that our worries are justified. Our past will be with us until our last breath but it controls the present only in our minds."

-.-

Robb entered the Godswood, dressed up in full armor and a white and grey cloak with a giant direwolf across his back while a real direwolf slowly walked by his right. Every guest sat on a bench prepared for them but as soon as they saw him, everyone stood up. His entire family stood near the Heart tree to be by his side when he will say his vows. He stopped before the tree with only a Woods Witch between them to perform the ceremony. He knelt and said a quiet prayer. He heard the guests to rise again and he knew his betrothed entered as well. He finished his prayer and stood up as well. He turned and looked at his bride. She looked stunning in her wedding dress, he had to admit that. He did not know properly most of the guests but the front benches were occupied by his friends and all of them were smiling at him encouragingly.

Lillian stopped right in front of him and waited until Robb offered her his hand to lead her before the Woods Witch.

The entire Godswood was quiet as if he was there by himself until the Woods Witch raised her hands and started to speak. "We have gathered here before the eyes of the Old Gods to witness a beginning of a new marriage and a new life that will be created from it. Have you both come here by your own free will?"

"Yes," Robb and Lilian answered simultaneously.

"Are you aware that every promise made in the presence of the gods must be kept and the marriage you are about to enter cannot be undone once you seal it?"

"Yes," they said again in unison.

"Then face each other and speak your vows."

They did as the Woods Witch told them. "With the gods as my witnesses I promise to honor and protect you from this day until my last. I take thee as my wife to bear my children and to stand by my side as the voice of reason I shall always listen. I will always use all my strength to be worthy of you and your love. I solemnly swear so in the presence of a Heart tree, may the gods hold me true to my word," Robb said and with his last word, he kissed Lillian's hand.

"With the gods as my witnesses I promise to honor and protect you from this day until my last. I take thee as my husband to give me children and to stand by my side as the voice of reason I shall always listen. I will always use all my strength to be worthy of you and your love. I solemnly swear so in the presence of a Heart tree, may the gods hold me true to my word," Lillian repeated their vows as well and with her last word, she kissed Robb's hand.

The Woods Witch raised her hands again when they felt a soft blow of wind. "The Old Gods bless your union. Lillian of Skagos, strip your cloak and accept that of your husbands."

Lillian unfastened the clasp that held the cloak of her father's colors and let Robb put a cloak with a grey direwolf on a white field on her back.

"Lord Robb and Lady Lillian, I pronounce you husband and wife from this day until your last."

Robb took her hand in his and they both turned away from the Heart tree and the Woods Witch. "Let me introduce you for the very first time the future Lady of Winterfell," he pronounced.

There was a complete silence throughout entire ceremony but as soon as Robb finished, everyone started to cheer.

-.-

"There is only so much congratulants one can take," Lillian sighed heavily.

"There is more do not fear, wife," Robb laughed slightly. It felt very strange to call her wife. Strange but it was kind of nice. Perhaps he will get use to it with time.

Lillian turned her eyes but smiled quickly when another guest approached to congratulate them. Neither one of them moved from their seats in hours because of endless line of people who wanted to wish them well. Both Robb and Lillian enjoyed it for a while but after they have heard the same sentence hundred times over they were both ready to jump out of a window. They sat in the middle of the table with Robb's family on one side and Lillian's father and sisters on the other and while all of them ate and chatted happily, the newlywed couple could hardly drink a cup of wine.

"We have hardly had a few minutes to talk to each other in our entire wedding," Lillian said when it seemed people stopped paying interest to them.

"Well, we have not spoken much before the wedding either."

"Yes, because you were avoiding me."

"I was not avoiding you."

Lillian gave Robb a skeptical look. "Yes, you were. Have I really put you off with my previous behavior?"

Robb shrugged. "Maybe a little."

"I know I was rather unpleasant." Robb grimaced. "A lot unpleasant, happy?" she growled. "I was your prisoner then, how would you expect me to behave?"

"Is this your first apology?" Robb asked amusedly.

"I was not going to apologize," Lillian said. "I merely wanted to say that the Lillian you experienced before is not the real me."

"What is the real you then?"

Lillian smiled provocatively. "You will have to find out yourself, my lord Robb."

"Well, I have the rest of my live to do that."

"Exactly. We may not be marrying for love but that does not mean we cannot find a common ground. We are now married for the rest of our lives and we should make our union as pleasant as we can."

"I agree," said Robb. "Tell me, Lady Lillian…"

"Lily."

"Excuse me?"

"Lily. That is what my family calls me."

Robb smiled. "Tell me, Lily…" he started but was interrupted once again. This time it was Theon Greyjoy, drunk as hell.

"Lord Stark, I say it is time we put the newlyweds to bed, would you not agree?"

Robb looked at his father who was smiling slightly at the young Greyjoy as he did his best not to fall on the ground right in the middle of the main hall. His father stood up from his seat after a while.

"By all means, lets bed them," he called and suddenly, cheers could be heard from every corner of the room as group of people rushed to them to help them into their chamber where their marriage will be consummated. Robb closed his eyes, laughing as several maidens tried to rid him off his clothes while walking him from the room.

-.-

"Well, I think that by now, Lady Lillian is officially our sister by law," Bran grinned as he sat next to his sisters, Jon, Theon and Domeric. It was long after midnight and the main hall was almost empty except for few persistent guests that were decided to celebrate until they were able.

"Knowing Robb, she had become officially your sister by law hours ago," murmured Theon with his head placed on the table in front of him. "Now he is sleeping peacefully while she finishes his job for him."

Bran and Domeric laughed loudly while Sansa blushed. "Can we change the subject, please? I honestly do not wish to discuss my brother's wedding night."

"I agree," said Arya. "I truly do not want to dream of Robb's bare butt tonight."

"Whose bare butt would you like to dream of, Arya?" Theon laughed drunkenly.

"Certainly not yours," Arya retorted. "Go to sleep, Greyjoy, you drank your fair share tonight."

"I would but I cannot stand up," Theon mumbled and closed his eyes. After a while they could hear soft snoring from the young kraken.

"Well, I think he will be off until midday," Domeric smiled.

"I think we can safely say that Robb's wedding was quite a success," Sansa laughed. "Perhaps ours will be just as grand," she smiled shyly.

"What?" shrieked Arya, Bran and Jon at the same time.

Sansa blushed and Domeric smiled proudly. "I asked your sister for her hand tonight," he explained. "I need to ask Lord Stark's approval first of course but I think we shall start planning a wedding fairly soon."

"Well, that is quite an information," Bran smiled. "I guess congratulations are in order."

"I do not think you are creepy enough to be a lady of Dreadfort," Arya laughed.

"Very funny," Domeric replied, smiling.

"What does your father make of it?" Jon asked.

Domeric shrugged. "He is thrilled. He will have a Stark for a daughter-in-law. In the North, that is the ultimate marriage pact."

"He will certainly be raised to a higher post," Jon said, thinking. He never liked Roose Bolton much. The man was an embodiment of everything awful that was ever said about House Bolton. Domeric was a dear friend to him and he was quite fond of him but he never comprehended how such a sweet, kind man could be a son of Roose Bolton. They were like a day and night and even though Jon was excited to see Sansa married to Domeric, he did not like the idea of her becoming Roose's daughter by law. He will have to talk about it with his uncle before he will give Domeric his permission.

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Author's note: I've no idea how marriage ceremonies went in front of a heart tree, so I just made that up - how else could a wedding happen? :D

Please, let me know what you think :) (and please, go easy on me :D)


	16. Wolf's Pride

Hello :)

I can't even say how sorry I am for making you wait so long. I just couldn't find the time to write more stuff - exams plus two jobs are not a good idea but thankfully, all the exams are behind me and it seems things at work calmed down a little, so I promise I'll write more :).

Enjoy! :)

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**CHAPTER 16 – WOLF'S PRIDE**

"You seemed deep in thought last night when Domeric announced his intentions," Bran said to his cousin as they both sat down after a long training session. "I suppose your thoughts took the same direction as mine."

Jon took a big sip of water and looked at his cousin. "You do not like the idea of Roose becoming Sansa's father by law too, do you?"

Bran nodded solemnly. "I do not like that man, period. When Sansa and Domeric are married he will think himself even more important than he does now. I fear he will even try to challenge our rule."

"Aye, House Bolton tried for hundreds of years to be the supreme house in the North. When Domeric and Sansa have children it will be like giving him the leverage he needs to try and take over the North."

"What can we do, though?" Bran asked. "Sansa is madly in love with him and even though Domeric is a good man, he cannot control his father."

"I wanted to talk with Uncle Ned to see what he makes of it before Domeric asks him for Sansa's hand, perhaps he will come up with some solution."

"What solution can father come up with? He has given us the freedom to marry whomever we choose, it is very well known throughout the entire country, and Sansa wants to marry Domeric."

"He is still her father and he can forbid the marriage."

"Sansa would never forgive him that. Besides, he would have to take back his word and that is something father will never do."

"What are we supposed do then? Step aside and let Roose take over the North?" Jon asked. "Honestly, I would not be surprised if Roose was behind this all along. He pushed Domeric here to be fostered by Uncle Ned. Dom is a good man; he must have known we would grow to like him and he even could have convinced Domeric to go after Sansa."

"It is possible," Bran said. "Perhaps we can put him in his place somehow."

"How?" Jon asked his cousin. "You are the thinker amongst us, do you have any idea?"

Bran shrugged. "I do not, cousin," he admitted. "Perhaps we will come up with something in time."

"Time is something we do not have, Bran. Domeric is here for only a couple of days and he will ask your father for Sansa's hand while he is here."

"Father will think of something, he always does," Bran said. "We shall see what he makes of it."

"What if he will not?"

Bran smiled conspiratorially at his cousin. "Mother will then."

-.-

"Wedded and bedded," Lillian smiled. "Several times," she added. Robb was observing her face closely as they lay next to each other and he could have sworn that she blushed. He started to laugh. "What?" she asked a bit offendedly.

"You are actually blushing," he said, still chuckling. "After all the insults I have heard from your mouth, it is rather surprising is all."

"Do you have to rub my face in my previous behavior all the time?"

"It amuses me," Robb said teasingly.

"We have not been married for even a day and you are already getting on my nerves," she growled as she got up from their bed.

Robb laughed again. "I think we have an interesting life ahead of us."

"Do you normally bed a woman and then insult her?" she asked angrily. "How many was there anyway? No woman could say no to the heir of Winterfell, I imagine."

Robb shrugged as he watched her getting slowly dressed. "Not many. How many men have you bedded?"

She turned around to face him. This was the expression he was used to when she was yet their prisoner. "I beg your pardon? How dare you to even ask me such question?"

"You asked first. It seems only fair to answer me the same question I answered you, does it not?"

"Highborn ladies are maidens until their wedding night, did you not know that?" she asked mockingly.

"I think we both know better than that," Robb said. "I have lain with maidens before and I can say you are not one. Do not insult me by lying."

"Why do you not run to your father then? Tell your lords I was not a maiden and they will save you from a marriage with damaged goods," she said contemptuously.

Robb shook his head tiredly. "It makes no difference to me. You were a free woman, not a slave, were you not?"

She looked at him questioningly. "Are you serious?"

"I do not see a single reason why there should be different measures for men and women. You did not expect me to be inexperienced, why should I? I did not ask you in order to start a fight, honestly. I was merely curious. You do not have to answer me."

Lillian watched him unbelievingly for a while and then a small smile turned up on her lips. "Do you _really_ mean that? You do not mind at all?"

"Oh, it would feel good to know I was your first," Robb laughed. "Even so, I think being your last will be enough for me."

"I honestly did not expect such attitude."

"I am glad I finally surprised you," he smiled, shrugging a little.

"One," she said. "There was only one man."

"Who was he?" Robb asked.

Lillian smiled sadly, sitting on the edge of a bed. "No one of note. He had no property, no position, and no prospects."

"And yet you loved him," Robb whispered with interest. He never knew what it felt like to love someone.

"Aye, I loved him. I loved him very much."

"Where is he now?"

She looked into Robb's eyes. "He is dead," she said coldly. "That is how it actually ends in real life, you know. There are no songs, no happily ever after. Only heartbreak and disappointment."

"How did he die?"

"I do not want to talk about him anymore," Lillian answered.

Robb took her hand in his as she tried to stand up from the bed. "Tell me."

She pulled out from him. "His own brother killed him." Robb watched her in astonishment. "You should be grateful to every god there is that you have such a devoted family. It is not so with everyone."

-.-

Jon ran into the square of the castle just as Theon double checked his bags to make sure he took all his possessions with him. The young prince of the Iron Islands smiled at him kindly.

"I almost thought you will miss my departure."

"Eh, I cannot wait to wave you goodbye," said Jon jokingly and shook the hand Theon offered him. "It was good to see you again, friend."

Theon nodded and pulled Jon into a hug. "I will do what you asked of me but do not get your hopes up, alright?"

"I will try," Jon agreed. "Let me know as soon as you learn something." The two men exchanged a smile as they stepped away from each other. "Thank you. Truly. I do not know how I will ever repay you for this."

"You owe me nothing. You are my friend and in many ways, you and Robb are more brothers to me than any child that came from Balon's loins," Theon smiled sadly. "And in another world, you would have been my prince as well. I am glad I can do this for you."

Jon looked at him appreciatively and stepped away to allow Theon mount his steed. Theon nodded to everyone who has come to see him off and then prompted his horse.

Jon turned around and headed towards the training yard. Robb was by his side within seconds, watching him suspiciously.

"You think it wise to send Theon after her?" he asked him quietly.

Jon looked at him, wide-eyed. "He told you?"

Robb nodded. "He wanted to know my opinion on it. Also, he really does not want you to put all your hopes into this. It may turn out badly. Theon wanted me to make sure you never forget this."

"I appreciate yours and Theon's concern, cousin, but I am a grown man, not a child. I think I can handle whatever outcome."

"Good. Still, I think you should have sent someone else, considering Theon's way with women."

Jon stopped suddenly and closed his eyes as if in pain. "Fuck."

Robb laughed loudly. "Do not worry, I warned him several times not to try to get under her skirts. I cannot vouch for how long my threats will stay in his mind, though."

"I really should have castrated him," Jon said.

-.-

Arthur was looking for Eddard everywhere but that bloody man could not be found when he did not want to be. Arthur supposed he deserved this. There was something he needed to tell to the Lord of Winterfell but he was putting it off on purpose. He should have spoken to him right after Ned returned from Riverlands but no, Arthur thought there will be more appropriate time to tell him. Well, now there was only a little of time before Ned will find out by himself what exactly Arthur has done and that would not be good. He will be angry with him; Arthur had no doubt about that, but not nearly as much as if he would find out on his own.

He saw little Rickon run towards him with other northern children, so he caught the child in his hands and threw him in the air. "Where is your father?" he asked as he put the laughing child back down.

"Dunno," Rickon shrugged. Arthur let him go and Rickon continued to run across the square to catch up with his friends.

"He is upstairs in mother's chambers." He heard Bran's quiet voice. He looked around him frantically, that little bugger actually managed to startle him. He noticed he was sitting just above him on a roof of a smithy. "They are arguing about something."

"Perfect," Arthur sighed. "What are you doing up there anyway?"

"Mother told me to watch Rickon, so that is what I am doing."

"From up there? They must be half way through the Winter Town by now."

"He has Shaggy with him," Bran shrugged.

"You rely on your wolves and your abilities way too much, if you ask me."

Bran looked into Arthur's eyes and smiled a little. "I honestly do not wish to spend the entire day running after impetuous children. Besides, if I did not warg as much as I do, I would not be able to tell you that my parents finally stopped arguing about thirty seconds ago, which means you can go talk to my father now."

"And how do you know that?"

"Lady is near them. Wolves hear very well, you know."

"Wolfs hear very well," Arthur imitated Bran's voice mockingly. "Stop being such a smart-ass."

Bran started to laugh. "What is the matter with you today, Arthur?"

Arthur sighed. "You will find that out soon enough. Probably around the time when you will see your father throwing me out of a window."

Bran looked at him confusedly. "What did you do?"

"As I said, you will find out soon enough," Arthur answered and went inside the castle.

Ned was really angry, Arthur could say that much just by looking at him. It was a rare thing to see him actually angry. He was always so reserved, so distant. Arthur has spent almost twenty years around him and he could count on one hand how many times he has seen him angry. He really should have spoken sooner.

"I need to tell you something."

"Can it wait?" Ned growled. He sat behind a table in his solar, looking out of a window.

"I am afraid not."

Ned looked at him with fire in his usually icy eyes. "What is it then?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes uncomfortably, went inside the room and leaned on the chair that was placed on the opposite side of the table. "I should have mentioned it sooner, I know. When I accompanied your son and nephew to the Wall, the Lord Commander asked something of me."

"Are you trying to tell me you are joining the Night's Watch?"

Arthur smiled and looked at the ground. "No. He has asked me to contact the Martells as their countryman and ask them for help in defending the Wall."

"Absolutely not!" answered Ned.

"I have already sent the message."

"Without my permission?" yelled Ned. "How dare you to send such a message to the South without me even knowing it?"

"This is not about you, Ned; it is about the entire realm. Do they not have a say in its protection?"

"We are more than capable of protecting the realm. My ancestors always managed to keep us safe, what makes you think I cannot do so?"

"We face far greater threat than any of your ancestors ever did, safe Bran the Builder perhaps. No one believes that there is a darkness rising beyond the Wall. You support the Night's Watch more than anyone and even you did not believe when Mormont told you the White Walkers came back. You had to see a dead man rise again with your own eyes to believe it. Seven hells, I was standing right next to you when it happened and I know it is real just as much as you do. How can you hope to defeat such a force all by yourself?"

"_I will not_ ask the South for help. I do not want to have anything to do with them, do you understand me?"

"But you _do_ need help and you know that. You started to see every southerner as Robert or Tywin. You have grown to despise the south because of Robert's and Tywin's actions but the Martells could not be further away from them and you know that very well. They could be your allies and gods know you need every ally you can get if you want to protect your people or are you too proud to admit that?"

"This is not about my pride, Arthur," Ned said. "I am well aware of the fact that the things coming to us will not be as simple to defeat as some man's army."

"We need everyone by our side and the Martells make a good start."

"I do not want them anywhere near my family. My nephew is a walking reminder of princess Elia's humiliation; do you think they will just let it go?"

"Who else then? Who can help us?"

"I do not know," Ned sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"It is done, I sent the message, Ned. Prince Oberyn is on his way to Winterfell as we speak," Arthur said. "I will make sure he will not harm Jon, be sure about that. You focus on making him your friend. Prince Doran trusts his brother more than anyone, if you gain him, the Dorne will follow you. That is a promise."

"Prince Oberyn. I would rather see Robert himself in Winterfell than the Red Viper."

"As I have said, I will make sure Jon comes to no harm and you make sure you will win him over."

"I have trusted you with everything I hold dear for years and I will not stop now. I still need one question answered, though. If it will come to it, will you stand up to your own prince?"

Arthur smiled a little. "I have told you over and over again, I may have been born as a Dornishman but those days are history to me. I am loyal to you with every fiber of my being."

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**Author's Note:** Please, let me know what you think :). As for the questions asked in your comments, I'll try to explain everything within the story asap:)


	17. Brother and Sister

Hi :)

Again, so so so sorry for taking so much time between updates. It seems holidays are taking way too much of my time :). I hope you haven't lost interest in my story.

Anyway, enjoy :)!

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CHAPTER 17 – BROTHER AND SISTER

Arthur was growing more and more nervous with each passing day. He and Ned agreed he should be in the party that will welcome Prince Oberyn in the White Harbor upon his arrival. At first, it seemed as a good idea to Arthur but as he was waiting in the city, watching for a Dornish ship on a horizon, he felt rising unease. How should he face him? What will Oberyn make of him? He was glad Robb was there with him. The Heir of Winterfell served as a sign of respect. It was only appropriate to have Lord Stark's eldest son officially welcome Prince Oberyn in the North and accompany him to Winterfell. Robb was there with him for political reasons but to Arthur, he was there as a support. He stood by his side as a living proof that Arthur's time in the North was not a waste. He knew the young man his entire life and he always liked to think that he had a part in his upbringing as much as his parents. He was like the son Arthur never had and as long as he stood beside him, Arthur was sure of himself. He was sure his life had a meaning and he could face Prince Oberyn that way.

Arthur just got out of bed when someone knocked on his door. "They are coming," he heard Robb's voice from the other side of the door.

"I will be right there," he answered, taking a deep breath. The time has come.

There were many people standing on the pier, waiting anxiously to glimpse at the infamous prince of Dorne. Arthur stopped right behind Robb. He was nervous, yes, but also very excited. He has not seen anyone from his homeland since he boarded the ship his brother prepared for him with Ned Stark and Jon Targaryen all those years ago.

Prince Oberyn looked just as Arthur remembered him. He aged twenty years from the time he last saw him but it did not show on his face much. He had a little arrogant smile on his lips as he was nearing the heir of Winterfell who took a deep nervous breath.

"Welcome, Prince Oberyn," Robb said loudly enough to be heard over hundreds muttering voices. "It is a great pleasure to meet you," he added with a respectful bow of his head.

Oberyn stopped right in front of him. "I was expecting Lord Stark himself."

Robb straightened his back. He was taller than the man standing in front of him but somehow, he seemed smaller. "Urgent issues required my father's attention, I am afraid. Nevertheless, he awaits you in Winterfell where you will be escorted straight away by me, his eldest son and heir."

"Ah, the Young Wolf and the Sword of the Morning themselves, I am honored by such a welcome committee. What of your cousin, young lord? Is he here as well?"

Robb's face was as hard as stone while he watched the dornishman in front of him. "My cousin will welcome you in Winterfell along my father."

"Let's not make them wait any longer then," Oberyn replied.

Robb exchanged looks with Arthur before nodding. "Please, follow me," he said and turned around to lead their way.

"Before we depart though," said Oberyn. "I would like to give the Sword of the Morning a little present."

Both Robb and Arthur turned back to Oberyn with confusion written in their faces. Prince Oberyn nodded to one of the men on his ship. Arthur watched expectantly what present Oberyn could have for him. He saw only a flicker of dark hair before a small woman jumped in his arms, giggling quietly.

"Ashara," Arthur breathed out as he returned her embrace with a wide smile.

-.-

Theon never felt good when he was leaving his ship. He has spent so many years on land, preparing to lead a holdfast far away from seas and he was quite satisfied because he never knew what he was missing. It was only when his father finally allowed him to leave Winterfell and aboard a ship as its captain that he realized what his life's passion was. It was this. The rising sail, the smell of salt water, the humming of waves, the sound of swords being drawn. He loved every second spent on his ship, sometimes he did not leave its deck for months especially when he had just returned from visiting his friends on land but he made an important promise to fulfill and it required him to leave his ship once more.

"We shouldn't be here," said one of his officers as they dropped the anchor.

"What do you know of this?" he asked amusedly.

"I know the Dothraki are savages and we don't wanna have anything to do with them."

"The Khaleesi I seek is not a savage. Far from it, actually."

"How do you know that when you've never met her?"

"I know," Theon answered solemnly.

"You've spent way too much time with wolves, my prince," the officer said a bit mockingly. "You sound like one of them."

Theon gave him an angry look. "Are you saying your king had made a bad decision sending his son to be fostered by his strongest ally?"

"Drown god forbid, my prince. I'd never question the king's orders. I'm just sayin' we shouldn't be here. We're krakens; we belong on the open sea and not to go on some bloody diplomatic mission for that dragon princeling."

"We go where I say we go and I say we search for Daenerys Targaryen, understood?"

"In the past, you've always welcomed my advice," his officer growled.

"When I was yet new to this world, I do not need your advices on what to do now," Theon retorted.

"Every good commander heeds his advisors, my prince," he snarled disdainfully. "Didn't the wolves teach you that?"

"Enough," Theon yelled. "Drop the anchor and find me a horse, NOW, or I will cut off your head just the way the wolves taught me!"

"Of course, my prince," the officer growled.

"Wait," Theon said as the officer turned around to fulfill his bidding. "This was the last time you have ever questioned me, understood? Do it again and I will not hesitate to sacrifice you to the Drown God, are we clear?"

"Clear as the sea."

"Good."

"Now I will leave your mighty presence to find you a horse, so that you may properly serve your dragon prince."

-.-

Ashara bundled up in her warm fur as she shivered with cold. Her brother said they were nearing Winterfell very quickly but to her they could not get there fast enough. She was nearly freezing and with every blow of cold wind, she missed Dorne and its climate more and more.

She was so excited when Oberyn asked her to accompany him to the North. She missed her brother and those few ravens that flew from him every now and then were not enough to compensate his non existing presence. She looked at her prince riding on his steed right next to the heir of Winterfell ahead of them. People always thought she lacked any wit but she knew very well why he had asked her to come. She served as a distraction for Arthur. The Sword of the Morning was always a pride of Dorne but many people started to question where his loyalties lie when he decided to travel to the North with the Young Dragon and his uncle and after almost twenty years amongst the wolves, he was viewed as a traitor. Oberyn did not trust her brother one bit anymore and he wanted him out of his way so that he could do whatever he would please and that meant he needed a distraction for him. Thus, he approached Ashara and asked her to accompany him on a very important diplomatic mission and she was more than happy to oblige.

"Do you think less of me as well?" he asked quietly while she watched the surrounding snowed land dreamily.

"Why would I think less of you, my dear brother?"

Arthur smiled sadly. "I am not stupid, Ashara. I am fairly certain I know what is said about me in Dorne."

"And what might that be, Arthur?"

"That I am a traitor to my people, perhaps. That I have let the wolves to claim me as one of their own or something like that, I imagine."

"Have you?"

"What do you think, sister?"

"We have been as thick as thieves ever since we were children, Arthur. I have always known you better than I ever knew myself but right now I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea. We have not seen each other in almost two decades and I fear that the man that looks just like my brother is not him. I fear I do not know you anymore."

"I am still the same man, Ashara."

"Are you? The Arthur I know would never sit still in Winterfell while the usurper sat on the Iron throne. The Arthur I know would do everything in his power to put the boy there and kill Baratheon with his bare hands to avenge Rhaegar instead of kissing Ned Stark's ass."

"I am not kissing Ned Stark's ass," Arthur growled angrily. "When I came here, the idea of conquering the Iron throne for Jon was only a foolish dream. Ned had a large army and he and many northerners are very good generals but Robert still held the upper hand, if the Ironborns would not join us, we would all be under ground by now."

"But you have managed to defeat Robert, why not march south then when he ran from Riverlands like a beat up dog?"

"Ned refused to; he never wanted to put Jon on the throne."

"You could have gone to someone else; Ned was not the only one with an army, after all. A few men could conquer King's Landing at that time."

"Who would I go to, sister? Lord Tully, Lord Arryn and even Greyjoy listened to Ned's every word and the Reach fought against us, who was left to go to? Doran?"

"Yes, Doran, you could have gone to him if you needed help."

"In what universe would he help me to put Jon Targaryen on the throne?"

"He was and still is a better alternative than to have men responsible for butchering Elia and her children in power. Doran would have helped you, of that I am certain."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. It makes no difference now. Besides, I have come to agree with Ned in time."

"Why?"

"We both know how inclined Targaryens are to mental illnesses and no one can guarantee Jon will not be struck by the same madness that poisoned Aerys' mind. It was better for him to grow up in a calm environment with a loving family around him than in the snake pit, full of schemers and whisperers, that is King's Landing."

"And so you have left the Iron Throne free for Robert to sit comfortably."

"You have no idea what I have seen throughout the years I have spent here. You have no idea how insignificant the Iron throne is compared to the things that are coming from beyond the Wall."

"Spoken like a true northerner. Are you going to tell me that winter is coming?" Ashara grimaced.

"Do not mock me, sister. I mean what I say."

"As do I, brother. You are the one who claimed you are still the same man who kissed my cheek goodbye twenty years ago."

"All right, I have changed my views on some things but my feelings for you have never changed, dearest sister. Nothing in regard to you and Aaron has changed and it never will."

"I know that," she smiled.

"Was it difficult for you and Aaron when I left?"

"A little, yes. We are not exactly popular amongst other higher families but then again, when have we ever been? Thankfully, Prince Doran understands why you have left and he does not hold it against you or our family."

"What of Oberyn?"

Ashara sighed a little and looked at the back of her prince's head. "He is a bit more difficult," she said quietly.

"I cannot imagine why," Arthur said ironically.

Ashara gave him a hard look. "Do not jest, Arthur. He is still angry and honestly, I do not hold it against him. I am angry as much as he is."

"Angry about what? About the fact that Rhaegar left Elia for Lyanna or about the fact that Lyanna's son lived on while Elia's did not?"

"About Rhaegar and Lyanna, about Elia's murder, about everything but most of all I am angry with you for leaving with _her_ son, for leaving your family to be with _hers_, for leaving me at the time when I needed you most."

"You have no right to be mad at me, I was never free to stay with you, and you know that. My vows…"

"Your vows are only an excuse; you could have stayed with us if only you would choose so. You have left me without a second thought in the hardest time of my life; I have every right to be mad at you."

"You brought it upon yourself; I have spent my entire life dealing with problems you have caused with your poor choices. I had to say enough and let you for once clean up your own mess."

"I am not talking about my daughter," Ashara growled. "I am talking about her father strangling himself to death to save his own before my very eyes and about my only real friend being raped and murdered by a man still covered in the remains of her son. Did you ever care to ask how it has affected me? How hard it was for me to come to terms with all this?"

"So, I should have forsaken my vows because you felt the misery of war the same way everyone else does? Do you think you were the only one who lost someone? Do you think you are the only person that suffered?"

Ashara closed her eyes in a pointless effort to stop her tears. She both loved and hated her brother for never treating her like a fragile lady that could not handle the truth. He always spoke what was on his mind, no matter how insulting or hard it was to hear for the person he was speaking to. It was only couple of hours since she stepped on the northern soil and she already felt torn apart. She spent years in Starfall being angry with him for leaving but also missing him beyond mere words. When she got off their ship and looked at him, her heart started to be so fast she thought it will jump right out of her chest but as soon as he spoke with his northern accent, gained over time, the doubts she once pushed deep inside reappeared and she could not get rid of them anymore. Many people knew Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, but she was always one of the few chosen, perhaps even the only one, who truly knew the person Arthur was inside but the man that now looked at her through her brother's eyes did not feel like him.

-.-

Oberyn remembered the Tourney at Harrenhall as if it was yesterday. He remembered how excited he was by the idea of a tourney greater than any other and he being a part of it. He was not the only one, the excitement was all around as every man imagined himself winning the tournament and every woman expected to be crowned as the queen of love and beauty. Oberyn saw it now as an innocent time. A time when his sweet sister was yet a princess of the Seven Kingdoms and gave her husband, the crown prince, a beautiful baby girl. In a perfect world, little Rhaenys would be enough for them both to be happy but in real life, she was not a suitable heir – not in Targaryens eyes anyway. At that time, the fact that his beautiful niece will never be the queen of the Seven Kingdoms was all that Oberyn hated but then the tourney took place and Oberyn gradually started to hate almost an entire world.

He shook his head to get rid of thoughts of Elia. It rarely did him any good. He looked at the young man riding beside him to focus on the present, not the past. He did not even know why he travelled to the North. When they have received Arthur's letter, they were all rather surprised. No one in Dorne expected such a move. Ever since the War of the Usurper ended and another one began between Stark and Baratheon, the Martells did their best to ignore everyone but when the letter arrived, his brother felt that their time has come and choose to answer Arthur's pleas. Doran offered him to send someone else but he insisted to go himself. He wanted to meet with them personally, especially the young Targaryen. He blamed many people for Elia's death, Rhaegar and Lyanna among them, and he would like nothing more than to kill him but he never planned on doing so. All he ever did ever since the War of the Usurper was meant to be in his sister's name. Elia was the sweetest, kindest and gentles soul he ever knew and he would never sully her memory by killing a boy who was not even born by the time of her death, despite his parentage. He knew very well his people thought that this is the exact reason why he is here but that was the beauty of being The Red Viper, no one ever truly knew what he was going to do next.

Besides, he was very intrigued by Arthur's letter. He could sense fear from his words and if something managed to frighten the Sword of the Morning, Oberyn was certain of its graveness. He was not sure why he came to the North but he knew that as long as he is here, he will make his long journey worth it.

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**Author's note:** Please, let me know what you think :)

Oh yeah, and Meowskii - Is it wrong of me here to dream of a Jon/Arya pairing? - absolutely not :) I'm actually considering it :D ... what do you guys think about that? :)


	18. Ghosts That Haunt Us

Well, that was quite a feedback :)

I know exactly where I wanna take this and how it'll end and the J/A pairing was always supposed to be only an addition (it would affect the story only a little, if at all). I still haven't decided if I'll go there or not but I guess we'll see :) - the answer won't be far ahead, I promise :). Anyway, thank you all so much for telling me your opinions - really, really appreciate it. :)

Well, enough chatter.

Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 18 – GHOSTS THAT HAUNT US

It took them forever to reach Winterfell, at least in Ashara's eyes. The castle looked just as Arthur described it in one of his letters. There was quite a committee waiting to welcome them in the heart of the North. She laid her eyes on Ned Stark standing in the center of the first row of people first of all. She did not even try to hide her smile. She remembered him so clearly as if it was yesterday when they first saw each other. He changed a lot but she would recognize him anywhere. She wondered if this time, twenty years after, he will ask her for a dance himself or if he will again need help. She looked to his left and there stood his wife. Years showed on her face same as on Ashara's, Arthur's, Ned's or even Oberyn's but that took nothing of her natural beauty. She was watching them carefully, especially Oberyn, as if ready to attack at the first sight of danger. On her other side stood her two daughters. One a living copy of her mother and the other a reincarnation of the she-wolf Ashara hoped never to see again. Both were young, strong and beautiful with an entire life ahead of them. She envied them their youth, just as she envied it to Aaron's children and even her own daughter. She looked around then, looking for that one person she was dying to meet ever since she heard of his birth. There he was, right by his uncle's side.

She almost felt from her horse.

"Rhaegar," she whispered to herself quietly.

She looked at him as if she was enchanted. Nothing in the world could force her to look away from the ghost of her past. He was supposed to be dead and yet he stood just few steps away from her. The man she once believed will be the best king the Seven Kingdoms has ever seen. The man her best friend and princess loved with all she had without expecting anything in return. He met her gaze and Ashara's entire world spun around her. Those eyes did not belong in his face. She found it impossible to do anything else than to stare in his piercing grey eyes.

Arthur gently touched her arm. "Sister, are you alright?" he asked.

Ashara blinked several times and looked at her brother. Whatever spell the young man held over her was gone. She nodded and Arthur obviously relaxed.

She heard Jon Targaryen was a living copy of his father but she could not imagine such resemblance even in her wildest dreams. She heard many rumors about the Starks and the young Targaryen and not one of them was favorable. Rumor had it that every one of Lord and Lady Stark's children was a sick weakling, uglier than the wolf that decorated their sigil and yet when she has arrived, the man who introduced himself as the Heir of Winterfell could not be further away from that description. If what she has heard was true, House Stark would perish long ago but here they stood, right in front of her, strong and proud as the descendants of the ancient Kings of Winter should be.

-.-

Benjen could not even describe how much he was looking forward to seeing his former home once again. He urged his horse to go faster and faster even though the poor animal was panting heavily. It was his own choice to leave Winterfell but that did not mean he did not miss it. His brother was far from understanding when he announced him his intentions to take the black and their exhausting fight was eating them both alive for months until they sat down and discussed the matter calmly and rationally. Benjen served as a captain of guards before he left and he knew he was an important political leverage and there were times when he thought he could do it. He thought he could marry some important lady to make an alliance and serve his brother until his last breath but that would not be him. Deep in his heart, he always knew such life was never meant for him. He was a simple man with simple needs just like his eldest brother. Sword in their hands was enough to make them both happy, not ruling. That was Ned's thing; it was Ned who was born to be the Lord of Winterfell not Brandon and certainly not Benjen. They all knew it, even their father. Rickard devoted his life to educate his eldest son as his heir just as their tradition commanded but even so, he wished his second son to take care of their family legacy after him. Benjen was still very young when he overheard his father's conversation with their maester but it stuck in his mind until this day.

"_All the effort in the world cannot change Brandon's wild nature but with just a little education, Ned's shyness could be undone and he would make an incredible lord."_

Benjen did not understand then but with time he came to realize the truthiness in his father's words. He stayed in Winterfell way longer than he originally intended because he thought Ned needed him and in a way, he did. Benjen was the last link to their previous life to him and vice versa. They reminded each other that once upon a time, there were times when they both were happy, safe and without a care in the world. They looked in each other's eyes and saw themselves as they once were, innocent boys unscathed by war and loss. But as soon as they looked away from each other the reality of life hit them both and each time, it was harder and harder to return. Ned managed to deal with it better than Benjen because he had his new family to focus on but Benjen was haunted by their deaths and all the misery that followed. He could not even cross the main hall in Winterfell without seeing his fallen father or siblings, he feared to close his eyes at night because in every dream he had, they were all alive and healthy, and Benjen's heart swelled with so much happiness but the rising sun always came too soon, turning them back into a painful memory. Yet he still remained there for the sake of his older brother, to help him rule and manage all the responsibilities that befallen him. With time, he started to realize Ned did not need him as much as he used to, his wife and children made him happier than Benjen could ever imagine and he slowly worked up his confidence. Benjen felt he was finally free to leave and start a new life, away from the cold castle that reminded him his sorrows at every turn. Ned was very angry with him and blamed him for leaving him alone to rule but Benjen knew he will be one of the best lords the North has ever seen with or without his help. In the end, Ned was the only one who did not believe in himself when all others did.

He spotted Winterfell and stopped his horse to take a good look at the castle. This was the place he both loved and hated but it was home nonetheless. He took a deep breath and slowly prompted his horse, excited to see everyone once again and worried about the unexpected visitors that awaited him there.

-.-

"Is he dead yet?" Jon heard a familiar voice as he was punching a wooden soldier with his training sword over and over again. He turned his head and smiled widely.

"Uncle Benjen," he called and went to meet the older man while he dismounted his horse. His uncle hugged him tightly and patted his back.

"How does it look?" he asked, nodding towards the main entrance.

"Strangely," Jon admitted.

"Is that why you are here and not inside?"

Jon nodded. "I do not feel well in there. They all keep watching me and not one of them have spoken a word to me ever since they have arrived. It is… unpleasant, to say at least."

"You should not allow them to drive you from your own home," Benjen frowned.

Jon shrugged. "I do not mind. I am better here on my own anyway."

"You and your solitude," Benjen grinned. "By all the gods, you are more like your uncle than all your cousins combined."

Jon smiled. "I take that as the highest compliment imaginable."

"Take it as you want," Benjen said, patting his shoulder. "Now, let's go inside, it's bloody freezing out here."

Jon laughed. "I thought you lived on the Wall."

-.-

"You have done a nice job up here, I must say, Lord Stark," Prince Oberyn said appreciatively looking around the people in the main hall.

"Thank you," said Ned.

"What I truly want to know though, is how you have managed to crash Robert Baratheon to his knees so badly that he still licks his wounds."

"You know the war is not at an end, it would be foolish to brag about victory that is not yet achieved."

"From where I stand it seems that whatever forces Robert will assemble, you will crash within a blink of an eye with the defenses you have built on Riverland's borders. You do not even have to leave Winterfell to win the war."

"Only the gods know what will happen," Ned replied. "Besides, you know how it went."

"Tell me anyway. I have heard only rumors, nothing that could be considered a reliable source of information."

"I know better than to reveal my defenses and tactics to you, Prince Oberyn."

Oberyn laughed. "I am not your enemy."

"You are not my friend either."

Oberyn watched him with an intrigued look. "We have renounced the Seven Kingdoms even before you have but we still have contacts in the Crownlands, Westerlands and Reach. I know exactly what is happening there as we speak."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Oberyn smiled again. "I have spent two decades listening to rumors about you and your allies and even though I know better than to listen to rumors, I was affected by them without even realizing it. I honestly had not high expectations about you and your folk but I see now I was mistaken. You and your family have beaten my expectations in every way."

"I suppose that was a compliment," Ned murmured.

"Indeed it was and just so you know, I do not hand out compliments lightly."

"I am honored," Ned replied sarcastically.

"You should be," Oberyn said, ignoring his sarcasms. "You are the one who asked for our help but ever since I have arrived, I cannot help but think you do not need any help."

"I did not ask for your help, Arthur acted without my permission. I would never be foolish enough to invite the Red Viper in my castle."

"Why is that foolish, Lord Stark? Do you fear your castle will crumble with my presence in it?"

Ned looked straight in his eyes with a cold expression on his face. "Let's address the elephant in the room and speak honestly for once in our lives. Why are you here?"

"When a man as brave as Arthur Dayne sends me a letter filled with fear, I know better than to ignore it."

"So you are saying that your presence in my castle has nothing to do with my nephew?" Ned growled. "I asked for honesty."

"I gave you an honest answer," Oberyn growled back. He nodded to the door Jon and Benjen just walked in. "If I would want him dead, he would be dead a long time ago, my lord, trust me. I would have found a way, I always do."

"That is the problem, you see. I most certainly do not trust you."

"I am heartbroken," Oberyn retorted. "The truth is I do not even know why I am here and I do not give a fuck whether you trust me or not."

Ned laughed a little. "Good."

Oberyn watched the commotion in the Great hall for a while with a hint of a smile. "Your nephew is safe," he said quietly. "That is what you have wanted to hear, is it not?" he asked when Ned looked at him skeptically. "I have nothing to gain with his death. His blood will not bring my sister back. We do not hurt innocent boys or girls in Dorne."

"Neither do we," Ned replied.

"I know," Oberyn nodded. "You were the only one who showed any kind of indignation with Clegane's actions, you were the only one who saw the monstrosity as it was and you wanted him to pay for it. For that, I am grateful."

"There is no need for that," Ned said quietly. "I was not able to save them, I was not fast enough. If I would get there before Lannisters…"

"Nothing would change. You would conquer the city with Lannister's help and they would die anyway. Nothing you would do or say would change that. I appreciate the sentiment, though."

Ned closed his eyes. Even after almost twenty years, he still kept seeing their dead bodies wrapped in Lannister red in his worst nightmares. Sometimes, their faces were replaced by his children's or his wife's. He always woke up screaming, all sweaty and shaken and nothing Catelyn did or said could calm him down. After such nights, he refused to sleep for days until he was so tired that he could sleep dreamlessly.

"There was your honesty," Oberyn said bitterly. "Satisfied?"

"A little," Ned replied. "For one night though, it was more than enough."

Oberyn's lips twitched. "I agree," he nodded. "Do you know what the most popular rumor is in the south?" he continued in more cheerful note.

"Please, do tell."

"That your nephew is sick little weakling who cannot even lift a sword, same as your eldest son. They say House Stark will perish with you."

Ned smiled disbelievingly and looked at his laughing nephew as he was speaking to his brother and then at his son who was smiling rapidly as he was dancing with his new wife. "Some weaklings," he said.

Oberyn smiled. "As I said, your family preceded my expectations in every way."

-.-

Bran closed his eyes in a silent prayer. His father forbade him warging into Summer or any other animal tonight and so he was forced to face jolly drunk people, loud music and curtsies which he always hated from the bottom of his heart. The wolves hated the noise and so did Bran. He wished he could sneak out into the Godswood where their animals will be kept until every last visitor will leave Winterfell. Bran understood why such measures had to be taken but still, it did not seem fair.

"You still sulk about the wolves being caged?" asked his sister as she sat next to him.

"Yes," Bran answered. "You do not want Nymeria to run as she is used to?"

"No," Arya shrugged. "I will take her out when everyone is asleep," she smiled when her brother gave her offended look.

Bran smiled back. "Why did not I think of that?"

"I would answer you but you would probably be insulted," Arya grinned.

Bran shook his head amusedly. "Where is Sansa?" he asked. "I have not seen her entire night. She is not one to miss a celebration."

Arya gave him a stunned look. "You have not heard?"

"Heard what?" Bran asked confusedly.

"Father said no to her marrying Domeric," Arya whispered as if someone could hear her over the peal. "She is so angry she locked herself in her room. Mother almost had to drag her to welcome the Dornishmen."

Bran widened his eyes. He most certainly did not expect this. "Really? Where was I the entire time? I do not know anything about that."

"Probably in a wolf's head," Arya retorted. "Come now, Bran, mother and father had been fighting about this for days."

"Really?"

Arya shook her head annoyingly. "Some people drink too much, some people sleep around too much; my brother spends too much time in an animal's mind."

"Shut up," Bran growled.

"Seriously, Bran, I would not be surprised if you would try to lick your own balls," she snorted as she stood up to walk away.

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Author's Note: Please, let me know what you think. :)


	19. Different Kind of Sea

Hi :)

Again, sorry for the wait.

Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 19 – DIFFERENT KIND OF SEA

Theon opened his eyes only to find himself still in his cell or rather a tent that was guarded from every possible side. He cursed Jon ten times a day for sending him here. He swore to himself that if he will ever get out of there, the first thing he will do will not be very pleasant for the Young Dragon.

"What was I thinking?" he asked himself angrily, looking around the now familiar tent.

He spent several days there already and he was growing more and more impatient with each day. It never occurred to him that the Dothraki Daenerys ruled will absolutely ignore the fact that he came in peace. As soon as he came to the borders of Dothraki Sea where Daenerys should be, as his spies informed him, he was taken prisoner, no negotiation whatsoever. He took only two men with him but not even his entire crew could stand against the horde of Dothraki fighters.

"I want to see Daenerys Targaryen," he screamed as the tent opened and someone entered it.

"You do realize the Dothraki do not speak our language?" someone asked him.

Theon stood up from his so called bed to look at the incoming man. He came into the light from candles burning on the table in the middle of the room and Theon started to laugh manically when he recognized him. "Jorah Mormont," he said.

"Theon Greyjoy," Jorah answered in the same tone.

"I certainly did not see this coming. You have come a long way from a vassal of House Stark," he said mockingly. "Do you sell slaves for Daenerys now?"

"What do you want, Greyjoy?"

Theon's mocking smile disappeared. "I want to speak with her."

"You should have stayed on your ship then," Jorah snorted and turned to leave.

"I was sent here by Jon Targaryen," Theon scream after him. Jorah turned back to look at the young kraken. "Does she know about him or is she still oblivious to the fact that her brother's son lives, safe and sound, in Winterfell."

"She knows about an imposter who calls himself Jon Targaryen," Jorah answered.

Theon started to laugh again. "I suppose you let her believe that."

"I told her what I know."

"You saw him with your own eyes, Mormont, you _served_ him," Theon said. "You know he is not an imposter. Hell, you shed blood for them all in our war with Baratheon."

"I told her all that, she still does not believe me. Viserys wanted the Iron Throne for himself and this was the only way he could ever ascend to it. He convinced both himself and her that he is the rightful heir. Nothing I ever said in my time here could change the truth she thinks she knows."

"Let me speak to her."

"Why would I do that?"

"I could kill Jon with my own hands for sending me here right now but I promised him I will contact her in his name and I am not turning back now. I know I can convince her," Theon urged. "You served the Starks once. You were a good, loyal and honest man, prove me that such qualities does not disappear overnight," he pushed his luck when Jorah did not speak for a while.

"I do not have to prove you anything, Greyjoy," Jorah snorted.

Theon breathed out annoyingly. "You know how Lord Stark values his family's opinion; few good words from Jon or Robb could get you a pardon. You could come home, Mormont."

"To be despised and mocked by everyone?" Jorah snarled. "No, thank you."

Theon growled angrily. "What do you want me to say?" he screamed. "Seriously, tell me and I will say it, just let me talk to her." He stared at the older man intently but no response came. "Please, Mormont," he said through gritted teeth.

Jorah took a deep breath and nodded. "I will see what I can do."

-.-

The visitors from Dorne had been in Winterfell for several days now and Jon still felt uneasily. It was strange for him to feel like that in the castle he always felt safe in. He knew he was not in any danger because ser Barristan refused to leave him for even a second and he carried the Dark Sister on his belt at all times but that was far from feeling safe. He was grateful ser Barristan protected him but the elderly knight was slowly getting on his nerves, wherever Jon turned there was his guardian. He even followed him into the crypts when Jon wanted to visit his mother and that was when Jon said enough. Ser Barristan did not seem very pleased but he obliged him and stayed outside right in the entrance.

"Alone at last," Jon whispered as he walked through the long corridor filled with statues of his ancestors.

He stopped before the statue he knew so well he could draw it in his sleep. He stroked his mother's stone cheek. People who still remembered her whispered how Arya is growing to look more and more like her but Jon could not see it. No matter how hard he looked.

"Do you come here often?"

Jon turned rapidly and with a loud noise drew the Dark Sister. "Who is there?" he growled threateningly.

"That is a pretty sword," the voice said and a man stopped out of the shadow into the light from Jon's torch.

"Prince Oberyn," Jon breathed out, not sure if he should feel relieved or scared. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"How did I get here?" Oberyn said. "Through the door, I suppose."

"The entrance to the crypts is held a secret. No one outside of our family knows it."

"I am a good seeker if I want to be, my… what do I call you? My prince? My king?" he asked phlegmatically.

"Jon is fine," Jon growled in response. This was the first time he ever spoke to The Red Viper; he was not sure how to act in front of him.

"You can put the sword down,_ Jon_," Oberyn said nodding towards the Dark Sister. "As you can see, I am unarmed."

Jon looked at his belt skeptically but there was truly no weapon. He slowly put Dark Sister in his sheath.

"You carry a Valeryian steel," he said, sounding impressed. "I have seen drawings of this sword many times. It is the Dark Sister, is it not? How did you come by her?"

"My uncle gave her to me."

"And how did Ned Stark come by her?"

"My other uncle," Jon said. Prince Oberyn looked at him confusedly. "Once he went by the name Aemon Targaryen."

"Aemon Targaryen?" Oberyn asked curiously.

"King Aegon's brother. He took the black long before you or I was even born and he still lives."

"Oh, that is right. I am starting to remember my history classes."

"He kept her hidden for decades and now, he deemed me worthy of inheriting her."

"You must have felt quite special when you received her," Oberyn said.

"I did," Jon nodded. "But you did not answer my question. Why are you here?"

Prince Oberyn shrugged as he looked at his mother's statue. "I merely wanted to take a glimpse at your mother's grave."

"Does it bring you joy?" Jon screamed. "Do you feel pleased seeing her grave?"

"Temper, young man," Oberyn snorted. "Watch your temper."

"Why would I do that?" he asked, drawing Dark Sister once again.

"Put away your blade, boy," Oberyn ordered menacingly. "You do not want to get into a conflict with me."

"Is that not why you are here? Come now, try to kill Lyanna Stark's legacy. It will not be an easy fight, trust me."

Oberyn watched him for a while and then started to laugh. "Why does everyone think I am here to kill Jon Targaryen?" he asked. "You can put your pretty sword down, boy; I would have killed you with one swing of hand if I wanted to."

"Get out of here," Jon growled.

"I take no joy in your mother's death if that is what you want to hear. I never was very fond of her but I never wanted her dead."

Jon felt his hard breathing to slow down a little. He started to think clearly again. "I am sorry," he said quietly.

Oberyn only waved his hand. "Think nothing of it."

Jon put Dark Sister back in his sheath, unsure of what to do next. He felt ashamed that he let his anger get the better of him but Oberyn honestly did not seem to mind their heated exchange of opinions. He was calmly standing next to Jon studying his mother's face with keen interest.

"I never cared much about Targaryens," he said after a long moment of silence. He was still watching the statue in front of them, talking quietly as if only to himself; it almost seemed he forgot Jon was there with him. "Bunch of pricks if you ask me, marrying amongst each other to keep the blood line pure. But they had their good days, no one can deny that."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jon asked him.

Oberyn turned and looked him straight in his eyes. "Do you have any idea how much I want Robert and Tywin dead?" Jon was blinking rapidly, absolutely oblivious to Oberyn's train of thoughts. "I will kill them if it is the last thing I will ever do, I have come too far for anything less but it never occurred to me until now – what will happen then? The kingdom needs a king." Oberyn paused for a while to study Jon's confused expression. "And there is one standing right in front of me."

-.-

"Savages," Theon mumbled as he walked behind Jorah Mormont through the Dothraki camp to meet with their Khaleesi.

"I would not say that in front of Daenerys," Jorah replied. "She is very protective of her people."

"But they are not her people, are they?"

Jorah stopped and turned around to face him. "They are the ones who took her amongst themselves when she had nowhere else to go," he said with a solemn face. "She was not as lucky as your friend to still have a family after all that bloodshed."

Theon grinned arrogantly. "Where does all that protectiveness come from, Mormont?"

The man in front of him gave him a disgusted look before turning his back to him once more and continuing their path. Theon watched the back of his head as he moved away from him for a while before following him. He never had anything against this man; in fact, he never gave a single shit about him, but he was starting to. Jorah Mormont fled Westeros to avoid beheading when his lord found out about his illicit deals with slavers and now he dared to stand in front of him acting as if he was a saint.

"You are pathetic," Theon growled but Jorah was too far away to hear him. Theon started to run to catch up with the older man.

"I can put you back to your tent and forget you are here very easily," Jorah said angrily. "Keep that in mind, Greyjoy."

Theon snorted. "Am I supposed to grateful?" Jorah stopped and looked him in the eye. "I am a Prince of the Iron Islands and I came here to negotiate in peace. These savages put me in prison without a single word. Am I to be thankful that at least you have some civilized manners?"

"Perhaps if you would bother to learn at least a bit of their language, you could have said that to them when you have arrived and they would lead you to their queen." Theon opened his mouth to reply but Jorah raised his hand to stop him. "Yes, you are King Balon's son, I know," he said annoyingly. "You are not in Westeros anymore. You can boast with your title all you want but no one will care."

"We shall see if they will care when I bring my fleet to them," he said threateningly.

Jorah snorted. "Your father's fleet has no power here and the Dothraki will never leave land to sail the seas. Now, are you done threatening and pouting? The Khaleesi is waiting for us."

Theon gave him one last angry look before nodding.

-.-

Catelyn was pacing from one side of her chamber to the other ever since she left the Great Hall after dinner. She had an entire speech prepared for Ned when he will arrive as well but he still was not coming. She expected he will not follow straight away as she was used to, giving the fact they only fought with each other for past few days but it was at least an hour since she left. He must get tired eventually.

She let out exasperated breath and opened her door to look in the hall. "Guard," she called after a young man standing at the end of the hall. He came running to her straight away. "Is Lord Stark still in the Great Hall?"

"No, m'lady," he answered.

"Where is he then?" she asked angrily. The guard shivered a little at her cold tone. She felt bad about pouring her outrage with Ned at the poor guard but she was way too angry to watch her tone right now.

"He, um… he retired to his chambers, m'lady," he stuttered, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Thank you. You can return to your duties," she told him. The young man nodded and returned at his station.

Catelyn was taken aback by this. Ned has not slept in his own chambers for years. Even when they were fighting, he always came to her bed, snuggled her to him and told her they can continue their fight in the morrow and she was more than happy to comply as long as she could fall asleep in his warm embrace. This was worse than she thought. She closed the door to her room and crossed the hall to Ned's chambers.

She was dead set on convincing her husband to allow their eldest daughter to marry the man she loved but as she entered the room and looked at her husband's sleeping form, she realized she will have to approach the subject more carefully. Ned was uncharacteristically stubborn about this and she had no idea why.

She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts. Sansa can wait until morning. Her anger was completely gone and now she only wanted Ned's strong heartbeat to lull her to sleep.

"Let's continue our fight in the morrow," she mumbled as she got into the bed, put her hand around his hips and kissed his bare shoulder. "Ned?" she asked as she felt his hot form. Way too hot. "Ned!" she said more forcefully and rolled him on his back. His hair was completely wet from sweat; he had bags under his eyes, saliva around his mouth and jaw line and he was barely breathing. "Guard!" Catelyn screamed as loud as she could.

It took only seconds before the door swung open and the young man she spoke to earlier was by her side with sword in his hand. "Get maester Luwin. NOW!"

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Author's Note: Please, let me know what you think :) ... and THANKS for reading :)


	20. Hell on Earth

Hi, guys :)

Here we go again,

Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 20 – HELL ON EARTH

Robb's head was pounding like hell. He was leaning against a cold hard wall, massaging his temples in an attempt to relieve his headache but it did him little good. He had his eyes closed but he still heard the nervous footsteps of his younger brother. He was still half hoping that when he will open his eyes again, he will find himself back in his warm bed and all this mess will turn into a bad dream.

He felt a soft touch on his shoulder and he opened his eyes wearily, not wanting to be disturbed from his depressing thoughts. His wife was looking at him sympathetically and when she squeezed his shoulder giving him a supporting smile he calmed down a little, for which he was eternally grateful. He tried his best to focus only on her or anybody else for that matter but the obvious question was still present. _What if father dies_?

He was already half asleep when he heard his mother screaming. His sleepiness was gone the second he stormed off his room with sword in hand; ready to fight any threat. He got into his father's chamber and the picture that lay out before his eyes was something he definitely did not expect. He froze on the spot, watching his mother as she frantically tried to wake her husband up but to no avail. Maester Luwin arrived not long after, pushing him away from the door just as his father went into some kind of seizure, almost knocking his mother off the bed she kneeled on. He recovered from his catatonia then, rushing to help the physician to keep his father still. The seizure calmed down after a while and Robb was sent to the hall by Maester Luwin to give him the space he needed to examine his Lord. Almost his entire family was already there, with the same question that baffled Robb written in their eyes. _What is happening_?

"Did you notice he was sick?" Bran asked when he stopped pacing, looking at their mother. Catelyn Stark stood with her hands crossed on her chest and with a stoic look on her face, giving none of her feelings away. But Robb knew that while she tried to stay strong for the sake of her children, she was screaming and shaking with fear inside. They both saw his father with their own eyes, unlike the others and they knew it was much more serious than they were willing to admit. His father probably lay in his death bed.

"He was perfectly alright at dinner," Arya said when their mother did not answer.

"Perhaps it is no illness." Robb looked to his side when he heard Arthur's voice. The knight was fully armed, his hand resting on the tilt of his sword as he approached them. "He might have been poisoned," he explained.

"By Oberyn," Arya voiced the thought that came to everyone's mind.

"Where is he?" Robb asked solemnly.

"In the Great Hall with Jon and Barristan," Arthur answered. "I did not tell them anything yet."

"Why is he not in prison?" Sansa shrieked, her voice shaking.

"We do not know what is happening, sister," Bran said. "It would be foolish to act before…"

"No!" Sansa screamed. "The Red Viper arrives in Winterfell and suddenly, father has fallen ill. What could have happened?" she asked ironically.

"Maester Luwin will tell us…" Bran tried to reason but was once again interrupted by Sansa. They started to shout over each other, both of them insisting their orders should be carried out immediately. Others gradually joined their fight, yelling to be heard despite no one actually listening.

"Enough!" Catelyn's sharp voice cut through them when the door to Lord Stark's chambers opened to reveal the tired Maester of Winterfell. "Maester Luwin?"

The old man lowered his gaze, not able to look her in the eye. "I am sorry, my lady. There is nothing I can do."

Robb's heart started to pound against his chest as if ready to jump out and he felt his throat tighten. _That cannot be true_. He heard Sansa scream but other than that, everyone else was silently watching the maester, trying to comprehend what he was saying.

"I fear he will not last the night," he whispered.

It seemed like ages before Robb was able to clear his throat, feeling confident enough to actually speak. "Why? What has happened to him?"

The older man looked at him sympathetically. "Poison, my lord," he answered.

That was all Robb needed to hear to lose every bit of self control he had left. He sprung from the wall, pushing Arthur out of his way when he tried to stop him. He was aware the others screamed after him but he could not make out the words they were saying. His vision was completely red as he marched away from their chambers with a single intent. He will make Oberyn pay for this.

-.-

The tent Theon entered was lit by hundreds of candles laid out on ground, desks and even some shelves. There was a giant, very cozy looking bed right across from him and he felt an urgent need to lay in it and get a proper sleep after way too many restless nights spent on the ground. But he changed his point of interest when he noticed a silver haired woman sitting on a chair not far from the bed. She sat still with a cup of what he presumed was wine in her left hand while a servant was fanning her with a large leaf attached to a piece of wood. She nodded towards another chair close to hers and Theon slowly sat down, watching her carefully while Jorah Mormont stayed at the entrance with his hand resting on the tilt of his sword. Theon would have laughed at this very _subtle_ reminder of who is in charge here if he was not so taken with the woman across from him.

"I thought he wanted to speak," she said after a while of silence. "Did you bring a man with no tongue in front of me, Jorah?"

"Perhaps he bit it off when he saw you, Khaleesi," the older man answered with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Theon cleared his throat. "I am more than capable of speaking."

"Good. For a while it seemed we are only going to stare at each other," she said, smiling a little. Her tone was reserved but not unkind and Theon could not help but to smile back.

"I presume Mormont told you who I am and why am I here," Theon said. "Khaleesi," he added after few seconds.

"He did not, in fact," she admitted, watching him curiously. "He only mentioned it is in my best interest to meet with you, whatever it means."

"You agreed to meet with me despite not knowing who I am or what I want?"

"Let's just say I trust Jorah's judgment. If he tells me I should hear you out, I will hear you out."

Theon looked at the man questioningly but he only shrugged his shoulders in response. "I am Theon of House Greyjoy, Prince of the Iron Islands," he introduced himself. Her face hardened and Theon realized why Jorah told her nothing about him. He would never see her if she knew who he was.

"Get him out," Daenerys growled.

"Khaleesi," Jorah started but her stern look silenced all he was about to say. He only nodded and started walking towards Theon.

"You said you will hear me out," Theon said forcefully but she did not answer, turning away to leave. Jorah took his arm and pulled him out of his seat. "Jon Targaryen sent me here," he screamed, pushing the older man away. "Your brother's son." She stopped at his words but did not face him again. "He sought you for most of his life; will you not spare him at least a while?"

She turned at last. "If he wishes to speak, why is he not here?"

"You are joking, right?" Theon grunted. "The usurper would send his assassins the second he would step out of Winterfell."

"The usurper," Daenerys snorted. "As if there is only one. They are the same, Robert Baratheon, Ned Stark, Balon Greyjoy and even that Jon Targaryen of yours. All of them are trying to take what is not theirs for taking."

Theon watched her in utter bewilderment. "You cannot be serious. We are fighting against Robert Baratheon for almost two decades now to keep the rightful heir to the Iron Throne alive."

"He has no real claim to the throne. He might have come from my brother's loins but he is nothing more than a bastard, a Blackfyre. A son of a dragon and a whore," she said with disgust.

Theon saw Jorah flinch at her description of Jon's mother. He remembered well how protective northerners were of their fallen Lady and even though Mormont server Daenerys now, he was still a northern man. "Khaleesi, please."

"Two members of your father's kingsguard live in Winterfell now to protect him; do you think they would do so if he was a bastard? They swore to protect the crown and that is what they are doing."

"Then they are traitors as well," Daenerys retorted. "When we will come back to take our birthright, they will all die."

"We? You and Viserys? Who in their right mind would support Viserys' claim?"

"People will rise when their rightful ruler comes back," she said with dedication in her voice.

"Ser Arthur Dayne was present when Rhaegar married Lyanna Stark in front of a Wierwood tree. Long before Jon was conceived – this makes him the only living, trueborn son and an heir to the throne, not Viserys and certainly not you."

"I would not be so sure about that," Daenerys smirked. "Jorah, I told you to get him out of here."

Jorah took his arm again and this time, Theon did not protest. "She is a complete bitch," he said as he was lead out of her tent, speaking loud enough to make sure she heard him.

"Do not talk about her like that," Jorah growled.

"You heard what she said," Theon snorted.

"And you heard what I said; Viserys had his hold on her for a better part of her life, he put his ideas into her head and she suffered tremendously by his hand," the older man sighed. "At least she is free from him now."

"What do you mean?" he asked bluntly.

"The Khal killed him couple years back," Jorah answered.

-.-

Jon spent better part of his day replaying his conversation with Prince Oberyn over and over again. It would be an understatement to say that Oberyn's proclamation left him breathless. He would lie if he would say he never thought about reclaiming his father's heritage but it was only thoughts, dreams nothing else. He had his family in Winterfell and he was bound to the North by both blood and gratitude. He knew no one else saw it the way he did but he was always convinced he needs to repay his uncle's bannermen somehow for keeping him safe. He did his best to serve Lord Stark and his people, hoping that one day, his service to them will make up for the sacrifices they made for him. He would never ask them to fight yet again to even put him on the throne but Oberyn seemed determined to kill Baratheon and Lannister and give him the throne afterwards. The question was why? Why did he care what will happen after he has his vengeance? The Seven Kingdoms perished long ago and the Prince of Dorne did not need to care about them. To reunite the Seven Kingdoms just as Aegon the Conqueror did when he first came into Westeros was a nice idea but it seemed impossible and Jon was well aware of it.

He avoided Oberyn as much as he could; not wanting to talk, or even think, about their earlier conversation. He went to eat his meal when he knew everybody else will already be in their chambers in hope that he will be left alone with his thoughts but the Red Viper caught him just as he was about to leave the Great Hall.

"Have you got any thoughts on my suggestion?" he asked him with interest.

He watched him expectantly and Jon wanted to say he does not want the Iron Throne, no matter what. The price is too high. He wanted to say that the North needs him and that is enough for him but he could not. He was not sure why but it felt like he was letting his father down. A father he did not even know. Ned Stark was a father figure to him for his entire life and he wanted nothing more than to serve _him_, to make _him_ proud. How could he explain this to Oberyn? He owned his allegiance to Winterfell.

He never got the chance to answer him since the door burst open, revealing his very angry cousin. Jon had no time to react before Robb ran up to Oberyn and hit him with his fist right into his face. Oberyn fell back onto the large table behind him and Robb was onto him in a second, hitting him in the face again and again.

"You were a guest here," he screamed, tears falling down his cheeks.

Jon tried to pull him away but Robb threw him aside in his frenzy, attacking Oberyn once again. Jon hit his head on the hard floor from the fall and it took him a while before he managed to sit up. By the time he did, Arthur and Barristan already held each of Robb's arms, pulling him away while the young heir tried to defy them with all his strength.

"What is happening?" Jon asked confusedly, checking his head to find any sign of bleeding.

"Father is on his death bed because of him," Arya shouted with growling Nymeria by her side, ready to let the wolf tear Oberyn apart.

"What?" Jon asked at the same time Oberyn did as he rose from the table touching his injured face with one hand.

"You poisoned him," Robb shouted at him, resisting the two knights that held him away.

"Are you serious?" Oberyn laughed humorlessly. "Do you think I would be stupid enough to poison your father while I am still here?"

Jon stood up, watching the commotion in front of him, not really comprehending anything. "Arya, what is happening?" he asked the only person he knew could give him a straight answer.

He could see she was just as angry as Robb and held herself back only for his sake. "Father is dying," she said with a cracked voice. "And there is nothing we can do."

"No!" Jon breathed out.

"Was he really poisoned?" Oberyn asked. "Let me look at him."

"You killed him," Robb screamed.

"I did not do it," Oberyn screamed back, holding his bleeding eyebrow. "I know poisons better than any of you. I may be able to help."

"Can you really?" Jon asked with hope in his voice.

"You will not come anywhere near him again," Arya growled just as her wolf moved towards them, baring her teeth.

"How can I make it worse? He is dying anyway," Oberyn snapped.

"Have you not done enough?" Robb snarled, slowly calming down.

"It would be a suicide, had I done it," Oberyn retorted. "I know poisons that would kill him a month from now, when I would be far away from here, do you think I would choose a certain death instead?"

"He is right, Robb," Arthur said, slowly letting him out of his grasp. "But it is your decision."

"Robb, if there is a chance he can help…" Jon said in a pleading voice.

"You better hope you _can_ save him," Robb growled, touching Nymeria's furry head in a silent threat.

-.-

Robb walked into the yard and deeply breathed the fresh, cold air. He could not stand waiting outside of his father's chambers anymore. The atmosphere there was… simply terrible. He was not very keen on letting Oberyn anywhere near his dying father but a part of him prayed to every god there is that the Dornish prince will prove him wrong and cure his father. He will gladly crawl at his feet in apology if only his father lives.

He heard a quiet sob and turning around, he saw Sansa sitting on a bench near him, hugging her knees. As he got closer, he noticed she was shivering, from the cold or from her crying, he did not know. He took off his coat almost instantly, putting it around her shoulders and kissing her temple.

"Come inside," he whispered.

She looked up to him, her bright blue eyes all puffy and red. "I cannot."

"Why?" Robb asked, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her to pull her closer to him.

"I said I hated him," she sniffled, burying her face in his chest.

"What?" he asked, cupping her cheek to make her look at him again.

"The last thing I said to father," she mumbled. "I was so angry when he said no to Dom and I… He will die thinking I hate him."

"No!" Robb said firmly. "You are his little princess, he knows you love him." She shook her head desperately and hid herself in his embrace, crying uncontrollably. Robb felt how his own eyes started to burn. "And he will not die," he murmured into her hair. "He cannot die. He… I am not ready for this. I am not ready to lose him."

"Neither am I," he heard her reply tearfully.

He wanted to scream, to cry, and to beat into something so hard until he would forget about everything that has happened but not when his little sister needed him. Sansa and their father did not have an easy relationship. She was probably the most spoiled one of Stark children, greatly through father's fault because she was – in his words – too adorable to refuse. She defied him more than any other of her siblings and she always managed to get out of any trouble just by giving father her puppy dog eyes. People presumed he favored Arya but it was in fact Sansa for whom he always slightly changed the rules that applied to everyone else and she loved him all the more for it.

"Why would anyone want him dead?" she asked suddenly.

Robb jumped a little, startled by her question after a long while of silence. "I do not know," he answered, stroking her hand. He did know though, or at least he thought he did. Oberyn was a possibility, of course but when he allowed himself to think it through, he realized the Viper had a point. Why would he try to kill Lord Stark when still in Winterfell? No, who had most to gain with his death? And with an open conflict between the North and Dorne that would undoubtedly arisen? Robert! The only question left was how?

"You might want to go upstairs," a Dornish voice echoed through the deserted yard. They both looked up to see Oberyn coming near them. "Your father will live," he answered the unspoken question. "Lady Stark is with him now. She sent her children to bed, I suppose that applies on you too," he snickered a little.

Robb could not even describe the relieve that washed over him at his words. Sansa hesitated a little before standing up and hugging him gratefully. Robb would have laughed at the sudden change of opinions if he did not feel the urge to hug him himself. _Father will live_, he repeated in his mind.

Sansa broke their hug and ran inside the castle, leaving the two men facing each other awkwardly.

"I apologize, Prince Oberyn," Robb said uncomfortably.

Oberyn smirked a little, touching his slowly bluing eye. "I will think of a way for you to make up for it, do not worry." Robb laughed a little and looked at the ground. "Now, if your royal highness will let me leave," he continued mockingly. "I have rather pressing matters to attend to."

"Pressing matters?"

"The poison used on your father happens to be one of my favorites and before you draw your sword I will say it one more time – no, I did not do it," he said again, annoyance clear in his voice. "Someone tried to kill Lord Stark and wanted me to lose a head for it. I am going to find out who."

Robb nodded. "Whatever assistance you require, Winterfell will provide."

.

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**Author's note**: _*smug grin*_ yeah, like I'm ever gonna kill off Ned :D

Please, leave a review. Really, really want to know what you think :). Aaaaand THANKS FOR READING :)


	21. Point of View

Hello :)

So, this chapter was written a long time ago just waiting to be published and I think it's about bloody time it did :)

It may perhaps be a little overdue but I just couldn't find where else to fit it.

Anyway, hope you'll like it.

Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 21 – POINT OF VIEW

Two Months earlier

Robert sat in his high chair with a cup full of wine in one hand and he used the other hand to support his head. All his strength was focused on not falling asleep. He fell asleep once on the Small council meeting before and his father-in-law was rubbing it in his face for years. He suppressed a yawn, not even trying to think about how bloody long Lord Mace was talking. Robert watched him with annoyance as the older man sat in his chair with straight back, pretending to be the single most important person in the entire world. He was a completely insignificant idiot, Robert thought. Everyone in the room knew that the spot in the Small council was given to him only because he was very easily influenced and that suited Tywin the most. Seven hells, he was sure that Tywin let him keep the crown on his head just because he thought that Robert himself was easy to manipulate and it was true. Robert did whatever Tywin told him but not because of his stupidity as many thought but because he did not give a single shit.

He looked at his father-in-law's unpleasant face and almost burst out laughing. Even the ever serious and courteous Tywin Lannister looked bored as fuck. Robert never liked the man and from what he could say, the feeling was mutual. They were tolerating each other ever since they agreed upon marriage between him and Cersei but nothing more. The man only ever wanted power and he did not hesitate to use his daughter to gain it. Robert did not mind in the slightest, he was more than happy to stand aside and let him rule the broken kingdom while he drank and whored his way to an early grave. He has lost everything he ever cared about and he only wanted to spend whatever time he had left in this world in a blissful oblivion that only ale in hand and a woman on his lap could bring him.

He was apathetic to the world around him and he knew he could never awake from it fully but some days were better than others and when he was lucky enough to shake off his depressions the Red Keep started to crumble along with Tywin Lannister… because screwing with Tywin Lannister was always fun. On one of these days, he had decided he had enough of his wife's urging and bugging about giving her more power than she already had and so he appointed her into the small council instead of Grand Maester Pycelle. Cersei was happy and let him off the hook for a while; Robert did not have to suffer that irritating old man that did absolutely nothing beyond kissing Tywin's ass and Tywin's head almost burst with anger when Robert told him his decision is final. Triple win.

He was strangely fond of his blonde wife which was funny, considering she was basically Tywin Lannister with breasts. She was a complete bitch, yes but she had her bright sides. Sometimes. They did not get along much from the beginning. Well, hate would be more appropriate word for their feelings towards each other. He hated her because she was not Lyanna and she hated him for endlessly bringing up the woman he loved and was supposed to marry in the first place. That combined with public whoring and excessive drinking was not exactly a solid foundation for a happy marriage. Their relationship changed, though, after couple of years and funnily enough, he had the ale she so despised to thank to for that. He came into her chambers one night and in a drunken bliss, he apologized for treating her poorly. He woke up the next morning with a pounding head and basically no memories of the previous night but Cersei remembered and as soon as he met her that day, she actually greeted him with a soft smile on her lips. It was probably the first time he ever saw her smile and a small wave of affection towards her flowed through him. Since that day they had a silent agreement between them. She let him deal with his ghosts any way he needed and he was much less vocal about his escapades in brothels and was ready to stand by her side with a fake wide smile looking as the perfect King with the perfect Queen on his arm every time situation required it.

Sad thing was that not even his improved relationship with his wife made him think better of their children, or rather one specific child. He liked Tommen and Myrcella, giving them the fatherly attention they both craved for once in a while but his eldest, Joffrey, the boy that called himself the Crown Prince sickened him. He was vicious, violent and simply cruel. He could compare him to only one person he knew – Gregor Clegane. Well, maybe The Mad King was a good comparison as well. They were all just as mad and ferocious. They were all monsters. Robert knew he was hardly the father of the year but it never ceased to amaze him how on earth he could father such a boy. How on earth could he make such a legacy? Tommen and Myrcella were sweet children and he knew that any father would be proud of them but any affection towards them seemed meaningless when he laid his eyes on his eldest child. But the worst part was that Cersei loved him the most. When he was still small she convinced herself he will grow up from this behavior but as he got older and nothing changed, Robert could see it in her eyes – she saw his true nature just as clearly as Robert did but she still loved him. She still hoped that one day he will be the man she wanted him to be.

Robert's mind snapped back as he heard his wife's sharp voice. "That is all very interesting, Lord Mace," she smiled falsely at him. "Yet I fear we have more pressing matters to discuss. Lord Varys, you mentioned to have some news?"

Robert turned his eyes. Mace's monotone voice disappeared only to be replaced by Varys'.

"Will this meeting never end?" he growled, interrupting the Whisperer.

"You will want to hear this, Your Grace," Varys replied with a sly smile. Robert just shrugged in defeat and waved his hand to get him to continue. "Prince Oberyn is on his way to Winterfell as we speak."

"What?" yelled Robert along every member of the Small council.

"My birds told me that Prince Doran received a letter from the North few days ago with pleas for help. His brother is getting ready to find out what is happening there."

"Pleas for help?" Cersei asked.

"We have all received the ravens from the Night's Watch. The dead are rising again and so on, so on. Do not tell me the Martells actually fell for that?" Renly said. "It is but a trick."

"Trick or not, this is a chance we cannot waste," said Cersei, gaining attention from every member of the Small council. "If Dorne allies with our enemy, we are as good as dead but their relations are very tense right now. It will take only a little to spark a war between them."

"What are you suggesting, my Queen?" Lord Mace asked her.

"We poison Ned Stark," Tywin answered instead of her.

"What? No!" Robert shrieked.

"I thought we only wanted the boy dead," said Renly. "Why not poison him?"

"The Starks have defied the crown," Varys shrugged. "If you want your brother to keep the said crown on his head, they must all die. Otherwise, we will look weak."

"But how will poisoning Ned Stark help us?" asked Mace Tyrell.

Cersei turned her eyes. "Not only will the North lose its leader but it will start a war between them and Dorne. They will blame Oberyn for his death," she explained in annoyance.

Mace nodded. "But why not poison the boy? The result would be the same."

"Not every northerner would fight to avenge Jon Targaryen but everyone will want revenge for their fallen Lord. We have seen it before. We do not only need them to weaken each other, we need them to destroy each other completely."

"Once Winterfell is out of the equation, we have an actual shot on defeating Ironborns, the Riverlands and Vale. They may claim otherwise but they all fallen under Stark's rule."

Robert stood up from his seat and hit the table with his hand as hard as he could. He waited until all eyes were on him before he spoke. "No one will poison Ned Stark!"

"My love…" Cersei started but Robert raised his finger to stop her.

"The King has spoken," he growled quietly and with that, he left the room.

-.-

_She loved him, Robert. She loved Rhaegar._

Robert rubbed his face with both hands in fail attempt to recall anything else than his last conversation with Ned. He could not even count how many times he replayed their meeting in the tent, thinking about what he should have said. What he wanted to tell him. What he wanted him to know.

It was bad enough to find out that the love of his life gave her heart and soul to another man but what came next was much worse. He watched his best friend, his brother, kneel in front of him and beg him. Beg him for an infant's life. When did he become such a monster that he had to be pleaded to spare a child? When he was presented with dead bodies of Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon, he was horrified just as much as Ned, he was just better at hiding it. He knew they had to die in order for him to take the crown and he was eternally grateful to Tywin for killing them instead of him but the way it was done… was monstrous. When they rallied their armies to march north, Tywin made it clear that he will not dirty his hands this time – Jon Targaryen was his to kill and no one else's and Robert had no idea how he will ever manage it. When Ned begged him to spare the child, he wanted to grant the wish. By all the gods, how badly he wanted to. How badly he wanted to tell him that he can raise the boy in Lyanna's name. How badly he wanted to tell him he would do anything not to lose his friendship.

_If you need to kill someone, kill me_. Everything but that. Robert knew he was capable almost anything when he wanted, when he needed, but not that. Not in his greatest rage would he be able to kill Ned. He might find the strength in him to kill the boy but not Ned. He wished now to go back, to stop himself in front of the Tower of Joy and just think. Think about what he will cause, what will happen when he will demand the boy's head in blind rage. What it will cost him.

_If anything you betrayed me, Robert_. It took him years to realize the truthiness in his friend's words. It was Robert who betrayed Ned not the other way around as he believed for so long. He knew he would have acted exactly the same if he was in Ned's shoes and he did not even like his siblings. He could not even imagine how important it was for Ned to protect the only son of his beloved sister.

In the end, Robert was almost glad he was defeated by Ned's forces because the alternative was terrifying.

He would have won, no doubt, if the Ironborns stayed neutral or joined with him. The Reach joined with them fairly quickly, all he had to promise was a marriage between their future children and the Tyrells did everything he wanted. He had two of the most prosperous families in the Seven Kingdoms on his side and he even dared to hope that Jon Arryn would support him as well but in his heart, he knew better than to think Jon would pick his unreasonable side over Ned's. He did not blame him but it hurt nevertheless.

He could almost see himself entering Winterfell when they received the news. Balon Greyjoy used his entire fleet to pillage Westerlands. Training recruits were killed, granaries were burnt and gold stolen and just like that, Robert lost the upper hand. They ordered retreat almost immediately but before they could even reach King's Landing, the Ironborns left the Reach in ruins as well. He ordered Stannis to take their own fleet and defeat Balon but the Ironborns were quicker. They burnt every ship and harbor before Stannis could even get there. They were fast as wind, attacking their lands in one minute and the next they were in the safety of their ships, mocking them.

It took them several months to get back up on their feet but they have managed it. They ordered a large force to stay behind to protect the South and the Ironborns were not able to get pass them no matter how hard they tried but as soon as they have arrived at the Riverland's borders, they met with a heavy resistance.

Robert anticipated that Ned will not waste the time he needed to get back on his feet but the defenses that awaited him surprised everyone. The entire border was full of watch towers filled with archers and fighters. Cavalry that would stamp them into the ground was stationed not far away from the borders and the sea was ruled by the fleet from Pyke. Robert had no way how to get through the borders nor to call reinforcements from Essos. Half of his army died before they even got into Riverlands over the watch towers and the second they got through, the cavalry had them running away as fast as they possibly could.

He could safely say he was defeated by his best friend. He wondered for days why Ned had not marched south to finish it once and for all but then he remembered his words in his tent on the night he last saw him: _I have no intention of taking the Iron throne from you, rest assured. My men are gathered here only to protect Jon's life. Let's settle this peacefully and everyone can return home to their families. _Not many men returned to their families and those that had wanted nothing more to do with the humiliated King.

If only he would listen to him. If only he would have stopped this madness while he still could. He did not pay it much attention but from the little Cersei and Tywin told him, his own small kingdom was falling apart after their failed attempt to defeat the wolves. Most of young strong men were dead and all that was left were elders, women and children. His people starved because most of their stocks have been burnt to ashes and they had no chance of trading with Essos since the Greyjoys controlled all sea routes. Jon Targaryen in Winterfell was forgotten for the time being. Tywin put everything and everyone into repairing the little that was left from the once great Kingdom because there were riots everywhere. They needed the people on their side before even thinking about attacking again.

The Ironborns won the war for Ned and they have made damn sure to leave their enemy in ruins.

But Robert Baratheon did not mind. He did not mind because there was nothing left in his life that he cared about.

-.-

"They are going to do it, you know."

Robert had his head placed on his arms on the table before him. His head was spinning and he could still feel dry out tears on his cheeks. He did not want to face his younger brother like this but he knew he had to. Renly would not leave before he will tell him everything he needs to. He raised his head and looked him in the eye. Judging from Renly's facial expression, he must have looked pitiful.

"What?" he asked slowly, having trouble to articulate properly.

"You look awful," his brother stated as he sat into a chair on the other side of the table.

"What are they going to do?" he asked again.

"Poison Ned," Renly replied simply. "Tywin does not care about what the _King_ said."

Robert put his loose hair behind his ears. "I figured as much," he whispered.

"He is your enemy, Robert. It is the best course of action."

"He is my friend… was," he said, watching a half empty cup right in front of him. "And I have ruined it. I have ruined everything."

"Was it losing her or Ned that brought you to this wretched state? I always wondered," Renly asked, reaching for a jug on the table to refill Robert's cup and to pour his own.

"Sweet caring youngest brother," Robert grinned drunkenly. "You still want to help everyone, don't you? Have I ever appreciated your concern for me?"

Renly chuckled, shaking his head. "How many of these you had?" he nodded towards the cup in Robert's hand.

"Too many," he replied, yawning in the process.

"Not once," Renly answered his previous question and stood up from the chair. "We will talk in the morrow, yes?" he said over his shoulder, approaching the door.

"Whatever you say, brother," he replied into the empty room when he heard the door close. "Whatever you say."

Robert stood up from his chair, slowly moving towards his king sized bed. He fell on his back and turned his face to look at his door. How many times he had imagined Lyanna walking through them, he could never count. He saw her as clearly as if she was truly there, simply standing few feet from him, smiling that same smile he fell in love with the first time he saw her. He always knew she was too good to be true, too good for _him_ but when he asked Rickard for her hand and he consented, Robert allowed himself to hope. To hope that perhaps one day, she will love him as well. He stayed on his best behavior for months, not coming anywhere near other women, partly because he did not want to insult her and partly because Ned kept a vigil over him. His friend was thrilled at the idea of him marrying his sister but given the years they have known each other, he knew Robert and his way with women quite well. Robert still remembered how Ned approached him with serious face and told him that if he will ever hurt his little sister, he will rip him to pieces. Robert focused on not bursting out with laughter throughout his entire speech, knowing how important it was to Ned.

Robert smiled fondly at the memory that popped in his head – those were the times when he felt happy. When Lyanna was supposed to be Lady Baratheon and his best friend opposed him with a wooden sword in his hand instead of a real one.

He wanted to get up from the bed and make sure that no one will ever hurt Ned. He still had the crown on his head that had enough authority to make it happen but he could not bring himself to do it. All his life was like this. Ever since his parents died and he became the Lord of Storm's End and later the King of the South, he had the power to change things, to make a better world, to make his name stand out over others in history books but he never did anything. He tried at first; in his youth he really tried to be a man worth remembering but every choice he made turned out to be wrong. Not even Tywin Lannister could clean up the mess he had made with his poor choices. His family, King's Landing, the Starks, the South, the North, and all of Westeros were better off without him. The world was better off without him.

He did not have the energy to try and right the wrongs he had done anymore because based on previous experiences, he was certain any attempts on his part would only make things even worse and that was something no one needed.

.

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**Author's Note**: Ok, so ... this chapter was kinda hard to write - I was always depressed after writing :D

Well... the reason Robert's and Cersei's relationship is different is because... well, in my head, after Robert found out that Lyanna never actually loved him, he just stopped idealizing the relationship they could've had- he still loves her, obviously but he no longer thinks her perfect as he did in canon.

And I gotta say, I like Robert - he's nowhere near any of my favorites but I still like him. He was a crappy King, no one can deny that but deep down, he's a good man (why else would Ned like him so much? :D)

As for the next chapter - I have it planned all nicely in my head but I haven't done any actual writing of it yet BUT I'm trying to make up for the late updates during summer (that's why this chapter comes out so soon :)) so, hopefully, I'll get my ass to write it ASAP!

Anyway, BIG THANKS FOR READING and pleaseeee, let me know what you think - your wonderful reviews just make my heart skip and it keeps me motivated :)


	22. Believe My Words

Hi, guys :)

Well, here we go again :-)

I apologize in advance for any mistakes - it's after midnight and I just finished it, reading it all over only once...

Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 22 – BELIEVE MY WORDS

Jon sat behind a large table in the Great Hall, watching his plate filled with food. He hardly touched it. Catelyn would probably reprimand him for neglecting his eating habits but she was too busy keeping her husband company. Neither he nor his cousins saw Lady or Lord Stark for more than couple of minutes a day when they went upstairs for a brief visit, their own obligations calling their attention too soon.

He looked at the empty seat right next to him. It was not only his aunt and uncle he has not seen too long for his liking but Robb as well. The Lord of Winterfell was unable to fulfill his duties and so they befallen on his eldest son's shoulders. It was only morning and Robb was already in the Lord's solar doing gods know what. Ever since they were boys, they have always done everything together. His cousin appreciated his help and advice on almost everything and Jon expected that now when Robb was the acting Lord of Winterfell, he will want him by his side more than ever but not once had he called him for help. His only order to him was to keep a watchful eye on their Dornish visitors just to be certain they can be trusted. Jon supposed Robb was trying to prove that he can do it all by himself to everyone around him but he still felt a little hurt. He was used to being needed.

Arya looked at him and gave him a kind smile when he sighed loudly. All his other cousins and even Robb's wife were having breakfast with him but neither one of them said anything beyond greetings when they have arrived. The mood in Winterfell was still gloomy after his uncle's almost death. No one knew for certain what exactly happened that night – how his uncle got poisoned, or how Oberyn cured him, but most importantly, they did not know what will happen next and that fact had everyone on the edge of their seats. The idea that the attempt on his uncle's life was only first try out of many had Jon's insides stir in fear.

Guards opened the door to the Great Hall and Robb walked in with Arthur in toe. He sat into his seat right next to Jon and nodded to the knight as he also sat down and filled his plate. "Take your kingsguard to your custody, I do not want him anymore," he snickered jokingly.

Jon laughed heartily for the first time in what seemed like ages. "Just slap him behind his ear when he misbehaves," he answered in the same tone.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, looking at both young men with feign anger. "Just wait when we will get to the training yard."

Robb laughed, grimacing at the older man and then started to eat as well.

"What did he do to get in your bad grace?" Bran asked.

"Mostly bossing me around," Robb answered to his younger brother.

Arthur turned his eyes and shook his head tiredly but said nothing as Robb started to tell them how much annoying it is to have the knight behind him all the time. Jon knew the feeling very well, he was hardly left alone ever since the Dornish party came to Winterfell. But from the way Robb was talking, Jon could say that he was actually grateful for Arthur's help in making decisions he was not yet ready to make. He may have been educated to be a Lord from a very young age but that did not mean he was ready to step in his father's shoes. He still had much to learn, they all did. Jon only wished Robb would want him by his side as well.

It was not long until others started to speak as well which filled the entire room with cacophony of voices as they chattered with no one in particular. It almost seemed everything was back to normal before they were interrupted by another guest.

"Lord GreatJon Umber, m'lord," a guard called into the room right before the large man entered and the Great Hall turned quiet once again.

"Lord Umber," Robb said loudly as he stood up from his seat. "Welcome to Winterfell."

"Lord Robb," GreatJon nodded to him and watched Robb as he walked around the table to stand in front of him. "I came as soon as I heard."

"We appreciate your concern but let me assure you, my father is alive and well. There is no need to fear."

"And the snake is in prison, I hope?"

"Prince Oberyn, you mean?"

"Of course I bloody mean Prince Oberyn," GreatJon snapped unexpectedly. "Let Boltons flay him for what he has done."

"There will be no flaying, my lord, nor any other kind of execution. Prince Oberyn is under my protection," Robb replied, sounding calm but Jon could see he was not far from shaking when the bigger man looked at him with disbelief and anger in his eyes. They both agreed once that GreatJon Umber can be terrifying when he wants to.

"You cannot be serious," Lord Umber yelled. "You want to protect the snake that almost killed your father?"

"Prince Oberyn saved my father," Robb said, his voice still calm and even. "We should be thanking him!"

"The bloody Wall will melt before I will be thanking a Viper!" he growled, turning on his heel and heading towards the door. "I will kill him myself if you are too weak to do it."

"Try to do so and you will be branded a traitor," Robb said threateningly.

GreatJon turned back to face Robb, his face completely red with anger. "A traitor?" he screamed in deep voice. "I will not swallow insults from a boy so green he pisses grass," he growled loudly, drawing his sword.

Arthur and Jon were on their feet within a blink of an eye with their own swords ready in their hands, same as the guards in the room but Robb only waved his hand at them, straightening his back. "That was enough!" he replied, raising his voice for the first time. "I am the acting Lord of Winterfell and I command you as your liege to calm yourself in my presence!" Robb's facial expression was hard, threatening and his voice strong without even the smallest flicker of hesitation that would gave away any doubt he might have about himself to the older man standing in front of him.

They were staring into each other's eyes for a long time before GreatJon gave him almost an unrecognizable nod and put his sword back into its sheath slowly.

"My Lord father taught me it was death to bare steel against your liege lord but doubtless, the GreatJon only wanted to cut my meat for me," he said, nodding to the guards to put away their blades as well.

"Doubtless," GreatJon repeated, smirking. Jon saw a flash of appreciation in his eyes towards the young lord as he managed to stand his ground against a man even the bravest northerners sometimes feared.

"You must be weary after your long journey. Let us break fast together and discuss the problem at hand."

Jon watched quietly as they both sat down and Robb explained Lord GreatJon Umber all that had transpired few nights ago. He was incredibly grateful the wolves were safely locked away because they would tear GreatJon apart the second he drew his sword.

He looked at Robb's solemn face as he spoke and he remembered something his aunt told him a long time ago. He was yet a little boy then, not understanding why his uncle behaved differently towards them when in company and she explained him that he was different because he had his lord face on. Her statement only brought more questions than answers to his child mind but with passing years, he started to understand what she meant. His uncle put on his lord face whenever situation required it, never giving anything he did not want to away. His heir learned the exact same expression from him and in that very moment it seemed to Jon that he was more than ready to take on the responsibilities that went hand in hand with lordship after all and he was unbelievably proud of his cousin.

-.-

"You do realize you have not turned a single page in ages?" a soft voice asked.

Ashara looked up from her book, smiling kindly when she laid her eyes on the person talking to her. "Have you been watching me, ser Barristan?" she asked teasingly.

The knight returned her smile, blushing ever so slightly.

Ashara shook her head fondly. "It is quite alright. Let me guess, you were sent to keep an eye on me," she smirked.

He only shrugged and sat himself in the nearest chair, his sword and armor tinkling at his movement. "You are too clever, my lady."

She barked out a laugh. "It was not so hard to guess," she said.

"What are you doing in here all alone?" he asked quietly as if any louder noise would startle her.

Ashara closed her book loudly and waved with it. "Solitude with a book is more attractive to me than a celebration these days as opposed to my younger years when you last saw me."

Ser Barristan gave her another smile. "It is hard to imagine you as anything else than the beautiful heart of celebration."

She returned his smile and stood up to pour them both drinks. She was always fond of Barristan the Bold. There were even days, long ago, when he was the embodiment of the man of her dreams. A knight in glamorous armor, chivalrous and kind, strong and proud, and handsome and honorable. His hair were grey now and his face filled with wrinkles caused by age and all the worries he might have had over the years but he was still very handsome and the spark in his azure eyes was still present, just as she remembered. She was glad it was him who was sent to her instead of Arthur. They have spent every free moment together, talking about their lives since they parted but not once actually talking about their ever present exchange of opinions upon her arrival, even though Ashara desired to clear the air between them more than anything. She did not have the strength to try and bring their fight up again, not today.

She was not lying when she said Barristan that solitude was more appealing to her these days but the real reason she hid herself in the large library of Winterfell was because she wished to escape the hostile atmosphere all around the castle. The Starks seemed to believe that Oberyn had nothing to do with poisoning Ned but no one else did. In fact, she was not completely certain of it herself. No one was rude to her but she still could feel the looks they gave her but then again, they were looking at her like that ever since she has arrived. It seemed to her as if they all knew that she loved their previous heir. It seemed to her as if they all knew that there was another wolf pup living in Dorne. It was ridiculous of course; no one knew who fathered her bastard except for Arthur and Elia. Elia could not tell a single soul anymore and Arthur swore to her never to reveal her daughter's parentage. She made him swear it on her life when he was in Starfall and he consented but throughout the years he pleaded her to let him reveal the truth to Ned in many of his letters. She wanted to. She wanted Ned to know that part of his brother lived on but she also feared that he might want his brother's daughter to live in the North with them. She could not let that happen. Brandon was taken from her but there was no way in seven hells she would let her daughter to be taken as well. Not her darling Ella. They were better off not knowing. Nor Ned or Ella could be hurt by never knowing each other.

It was not hard to keep Ella's father a secret. She was definitely a wolf but only in manners, her looks were Dayne only. With dark long hair and violet eyes, Ashara sometimes felt as if she was looking into a mirror instead on her child and still when she looked at her in a certain light, she could not help but to see Brandon in her as well. At first, she kept quiet only due to the fact that Brandon was betrothed to another woman but then, when Aerys executed him along his father, she feared for her unborn child and fled King's Landing as soon as she could, leaving Elia behind which was something she later regretted very much. After Dorne separated from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms and war broke out between Baratheon and Stark forces, it just seemed much easier not to get involved in the conflict by revealing anyone that her daughter was part Stark.

"Have you changed as much as my brother?" she asked suddenly after a long while of comfortable silence between them.

"After all that we have been through, it would be impossible not to come out of it unchanged," he replied.

"But Arthur is a completely different man," she sighed.

Ser Barristan nodded. "Aye, he is. He had a hard time coming to terms with Rhaegar's death and everything that followed. Leaving you was also a big blow to his heart, do not think otherwise," he said, his eyes watching her sadly.

"He was hurt and then he found a new purpose, a new family."

Barristan shook his head. "He cares deeply for the Starks and Jon and vice versa. There is not a single doubt in my head that he would laid down his life for them but they are not the ones whose letters make him smile like a fool. They are not the ones he talks of endlessly."

Ashara gave him a grateful smile. "And you do not care for the Starks?" she asked.

"I do, very much so. They are good people, kind, honorable. It gives me a great pleasure to be able to live with them and fight for them but my loyalty lies with Jon Targaryen and Jon Targaryen only."

Ashara nodded in understanding. "Arthur's does not," she finished for him.

"I would not say that exactly. He is loyal to Jon of course; my only fear is that he is loyal to Ned Stark more."

"Ned Stark inspires loyalty in almost everyone, it would seem," she said, smiling unknowingly. "When someone mentions him, I still only see the young man crouching in his brother's shadow as he did in Harrenhall, not a great lord who has won two wars in his lifetime."

Ser Barristan smiled melancholically at the mention of Harrenhall. "I should have won the tournament, I certainly wanted to," he said. "Had I unhorsed Rhaegar, there would be a different queen of love and beauty."

"Who would be the lucky lady, ser Barristan?" she asked.

He looked into her violet eyes, smiling at her knowingly. "You know who, my lady."

"You are too kind, ser," Ashara said, bending over to touch his hand. "Yet I fear I would not be worthy of being your queen."

"You are worthy of the world, my lady," he opposed her. "Never think differently."

"I wonder if you would speak the same had you known all there is to know about me."

-.-

Theon was lying on the cold floor, only clapping his feet on the ground and facing the roof of his tent. He fought his anger for days now, still unable to calm himself down. Daenerys as it seemed gladly forgotten his presence and her soldiers were not very keen on letting him free. He had no way of escaping and even if he would manage it somehow, he would never get safely on his ship while being pursued by Dothraki riders._ If_ his ship was still where he left it. He was closed in that tent for days without any kind of communication. Not even Mormont bothered to visit him and it infuriated him beyond words.

He was thinking about his short conversation with Daenerys over and over again since he had nothing better to do. She defied him when he mentioned that no one had better claim to the Iron Throne than Jon and she kept saying that "we will return". Who could she mean when Viserys was dead? She could be referring to her army taking the Iron Throne by force of course but that did not seem like the answer. He saw fanaticism in her eyes when she spoke and he realized then that they have made a huge mistake. Everyone in Westeros has been focused on Jon all these years but Theon could not shake the feeling that they should have paid more attention to the Mad King's runaway children. No one knew what exactly they were up to here and Daenerys leading a Dothraki army against Westeros to secure the Iron Throne for herself would be a disaster.

When he was in Winterfell, Lord Stark revealed to him his plans to march to the Wall, should the situation require it and his foster father strongly believed it will. He also expected Robert will attack again once he will leave Winterfell. It has been almost fifteen years since their last big encounter with Baratheon forces and even though they have managed to ruin them, it was very possible they were very close to being ready for another open conflict. The North, Riverlands, Vale and Iron Islands commanded a strong force. Their numbers were almost unbeatable. On a human scale. If they will have to face dead men attacking from beyond the Wall and alive men attacking from the South, they will lose everything they have built over the years. That was almost certainty. Daenerys only needs to wait and then the Iron Throne will be free for taking. They could only hope that Daenerys had no clue whatsoever about what is happening in Westeros. His father tried to convince Lord Stark that they should kill Robert and Tywin and then move to the North but they would lose a significant amount of fighting force if they would do that. There did not seem to be a way how to settle the disaster coming their way. Except maybe… if Theon could convince Daenerys to join with her nephew if no one else, he would procure a great advantage to his family and allies.

"Good morning to you," he heard a friendly whisper right after someone entered his tent.

Theon did not bother to look at his visitor. "Is it morning already?" he asked indifferently, still watching the ceiling of his tent.

The man laughed quietly and sat near Theon's laying body. "I was hoping we could talk."

"Well, that is new," Theon snorted, turning his head to look at the man at last. "I was starting to think I will live the rest of my life in this hell hole completely abandoned."

He simply smiled and looked at his folded hands in his lap. "I apologize for that. We mostly do not treat our guests like this, I assure you."

"Well, I would not know, would I?" Theon snickered. "Who are you?"

"A friend," he replied with a mysterious smile. "I brought some food and drinks. Proper food and proper drinks," he added, nodding to a bag he had by his side. He handed him the bag, smiling at him once again. "Help yourself."

Theon opened the bag and he could feel his mouth filling with saliva when he saw several big pieces of roasted meat. He bit down into one piece immediately, not able to stop himself from moaning quietly. Roasted pig. How long has it been since he had roasted pig?

The man laughed at the sounds he was making and handed him a bottle of wine. "I know how annoying it is to eat horse meat day after day," he grinned.

"Who are you?" Theon asked again with his mouth full, opening the bottle of wine.

"I told you, I am a friend," he responded, returning Theon's curious gaze. He had a very handsome face and something about his expression seemed strikingly familiar. He was taller than Theon, the difference in their heights obvious even as they sat on the ground. Judging only from his face, he was somewhere near Theon's age but his strongly built body told another story. Theon was training sword fighting every day ever since he was strong enough to hold a sword and his body looked accordingly but he could not measure with that man even in his wildest dreams.

"What do you want?" Theon asked after a long while of silence.

"I want to hear the message you came here to deliver," he said. He was speaking respectfully and calmly, with a kind expression on his face. Nothing could make Theon more suspicious than a respectful behavior after the humiliation he went through.

"I am no raven," he spat out.

"There is no need for hostility," the man replied. "I would like to think we are on the same side."

"Oh, and what side would that be?"

"You fought for years to keep the Targaryen line alive and so have I."

"We are also the ones who brought the Targaryen line to its knees," Theon said matter-of-factly.

The man grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "No one is perfect."

Theon snorted, shaking his head disbelievingly. "No, I suppose not."

"May I hear your message then?" he asked.

"I have no message," Theon responded, still examining his face closely. "I was only asked to contact Daenerys Targaryen in my friend's name."

"The friend being Jon Targaryen?" he asked with interest.

"Why are you asking a question which you already know the answer to?" Theon asked him in response.

"What is he like?"

Theon shrugged. "He is just like any other man."

"Is he a good man? Is he brave? Do people respect him?"

"I am sorry, is this some kind of a question game?" Theon snorted. "I wanted to speak with Daenerys and since she does not reciprocate, I want to leave. Right now!"

"I just want some question answered; there is nothing wrong with that I think."

"Find them somewhere else then. You want to know what kind of man Jon is? Go find out on your own."

The man watched Theon with an unreadable expression. His eyes were almost black in the dim light of the tent, a hint of sadness flickering in them before he answered. "Unfortunately, I cannot do that. Not yet anyway."

"Why?"

"I will appreciate any information you can give me about him and about his family," he continued, ignoring Theon's question completely.

"I am not telling you another word unless you answer some of my questions as well."

He let out a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Go on then."

"Who are you?" he asked forcefully for the third time.

He lowered his gaze. "I went by many names over the years, my real name forgotten by the world and even by myself at times. It is in my best interest that it remains a secret."

"Then we have nothing more to discuss," Theon retorted.

"Is there nothing else I could answer that would convince you to talk to me?" he asked desperately.

"Aye, there is," Theon said. "Why are you so interested in Jon?"

He shook his head hopelessly.

"Answer this or leave," Theon replied firmly. "Why are you so interested in him?"

"He is my brother!"

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**Author's Note**: Well :)... once again, giant THANKS for reading and all your support and please, let me know what you think :)

As for your question for the previous chapter - all three of Robert's children are still Jaime's bastards so... no truborn heir there!

And a message for ESO :) - thank you for pointing out the ironborn - I didn't know it was already plural, so thanks :) (I hope I haven't made the same mistake in this chapter as well :D) ... also, you were right that they wouldn't be able to get so far inlands to destroy and steal that much of amount of food and gold but I think that what food was left was still not enough to provide for the surviving people (even though the casualties were high in the war) to stop people from revolting and since they had no one to trade with, the gold was pretty much useless... anyway, thank you for pointing out any inconsistencies in my story, I'm really really grateful :)


	23. Three Heads

Hi :)

Once again, I have to apologize for the wait. This chapter was a real struggle for me - I've changed it like five times (I have to publish it before I'll change my mind again :D)

Hope you'll like it.

Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 23 – THREE HEADS

"Come again," Theon managed to say after what felt like eternity. He was fully aware his mouth dropped open as he watched the man in front of him in mind-blowing surprise, though he could not care less.

"I, um… I was not supposed to say that," he mumbled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, his facial façade cracking for the first time since he came into the tent.

"What do you mean he is your brother?" Theon asked, shaking his head to pull himself together.

"Half brother actually," he replied. The cat was out of a bag and he seemed to understand that he has no other choice but to explain himself. "Prince Rhaegar Targaryen sired us both on different women."

"But how? Who is your mother? How is… Why don't we…" he was babbling, he knew. Still unable to accept what he just heard. He rubbed his face desperately. "What is _happening_?" he muttered into his hands.

"I understand this is a lot to process," he said, the kindness in his voice back. "I can leave you for a while to let you…"

"Do NOT dare to leave," Theon growled. He took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes and in a while he was actually capable of thinking clearly once again. "You are Rhaegar's bastard?" he asked incredulously.

The man gave him a sad smile and simply shook his head. "I was conceived in a marital bed and on the day of my birth, my father named me Aegon Targaryen, sixth of my name."

"Aegon?" Theon asked in a husky voice, his eyes widening in disbelief. "The Mountain killed Aegon Targaryen during the sack of King's Landing. He smashed his head open with his bare hands."

"Aye, his face was smashed beyond recognition. How convenient."

Theon laughed humorlessly. "How convenient for anyone who would want to pose as him!"

"You do not believe me."

"Did you honestly think I would?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I know what you think; gods know I thought the same when I was told about my parentage. My alleged parentage. I myself do not know if I truly am Aegon Targaryen, I only know what I have been told and I have been told I am Rhaegar's heir over and over until I let every bit of doubt slip my mind because I have no reason not to trust to the man who told me."

Theon watched him, suddenly realizing who Daenerys meant by "we". He shook his head. "You are planning on claiming the Iron Throne for yourself and Daenerys. What, you just assume all of Westeros will take your word for it? What proof do you have of your parentage?"

"The same my brother does. Targaryen coloring and looks."

"Many Blackfyres had Targaryen coloring and looks," Theon snorted, rolling his eyes. "Jon is a known heir and if anybody would want to restore Targaryen rule, they would go to him. Not you, not Daenerys but Jon. If you go back claiming to be Aegon, you will be a joke."

"They already came to me," he replied. "I have supporters from Westeros, I have an army and I have Daenerys to wed to erase any doubt that I do not belong on the throne. All I want is my brother on my side as well."

"From what I have heard, Daenerys is already married and few lower houses in Westeros will not win you the throne, neither will Dothraki riders."

"You have heard wrong, then," he said and Theon gave him a confused look. "Khal Drogo never meant to sail west, I realized that the second he poured melted gold on Viserys' head," he mumbled. "And the truth is – I have never wanted him to. A Dothraki army rallied behind a dragon conquering Westeros – we would be a joke then, as you have put it. But, about a year ago, we have managed to stop an attempt on Daenerys' life and well… let's just say Drogo was more than displeased. He swore to conquer the Iron Throne for his wife and their son. His Khalasar started to prepare for war with Westeros and during that, he was killed," he said. Theon opened his mouth to ask more questions but something in his expression held him back. "Daenerys mourned him tremendously and even though I felt for her, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me," he added.

Theon snorted disdainfully. "You are free to marry her now."

"Do not give me this look," he replied, looking a bit offended. "I think in the big picture, Dany does not. She has small targets in her mind that just get in the way. I set my eyes on regaining the Iron Throne for the Targaryens and I will let nothing stop me."

"Are you trying to impress me?" Theon snickered mockingly.

"A little," he admitted. "I met with Daenerys and Viserys at her wedding to Drogo. They did not know who I was then and I wanted to get to know them before I would tell them. Viserys was… well, I suppose crazy is as good word as any. I cannot say I blame him for going mad. He spent his life looking after his sister, begging for a scrap of food and running from an occasional assassin sent from King's Landing while dreaming about the Iron Throne and his father's legacy – the father he thought he knew. He idealized Aerys, refusing to admit his true nature no matter what he heard about him. Any bad thing said about his father was dismissed as a rumor made by their enemies. After some years of such a life, they were invited to live in a great house by a very wealthy man who provided them with everything – all for free. He even came up with the idea of marrying Dany to Drogo to secure a Dothraki army for Viserys and helped me to come in contact with them – I do not know what his agenda is but you can be certain he has one – I am simply not in a place where I can afford to question my allies. Though, any plan he might have had probably went to hell with Viserys' death."

"Why was he killed?" Theon asked.

"For bringing a weapon into Vaes Dothrak and endangering the Khaleesi and her unborn child with it," he answered solemnly. "He never treated Dany very nicely. He provided for her, yes but he never let her forget that, thinking that she has to repay him somehow for being taken care of. Their marriage was a bargain to Viserys. A wife for an army and when Drogo refused to sail west, he snapped. His sister who was beneath him, who depended on him his entire life was suddenly a queen and he was still a beggar without any hint of improvement. I do not think he was necessarily a bad man, just… a man in a bad situation who had no idea what to do."

"How come we do not know any of this?" Theon voiced the question that was on his mind throughout his entire speech. There was no way they could have hidden all that was happening from them.

"Answer to that question is very easy – Jon Targaryen. Everyone is so focused on him whether it is to protect him or kill him. I am still dead in the eyes of the world and no one cared about Viserys because he had no legitimate claim to the Iron Throne, neither does Daenerys."

"I heard he dismissed Jon's existence completely. That he claimed him an imposter."

"Aye and that was the reason I never told him who I am. Dany was convinced of it too because of Viserys' influence over her. Thankfully, she started to see sense thanks to Jorah Mormont and partly thanks to me but the problem is… She thinks like you. She is convinced no one will support my claim over his and so she sees him as an obstacle, a nuisance that needs to be removed in order for us to take the throne rather than a mean to unite the Seven Kingdoms once again."

"To unite the Seven Kingdoms once again?" Theon snorted. "You are crazier than I thought."

He laughed quietly. "Perhaps. Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that at this very moment my brother commands the forces of the North, Riverlands, the Vale and Iron Islands."

"Jon commands his wolf pet at this very moment," Theon replied mockingly. "Maybe even few guards when he is _ordered_ to do so."

Aegon narrowed his eyes, quietly asking him to explain forward.

"You really thought Jon was a King we all served to?" he laughed. "Northerners are quite fond of him, no doubt about that, and they will protect him because he is part Stark but they will never rally behind him unless the Lord of Winterfell commands them to do so. If he would, Riverlands would probably fight for them as well, since the Lady of Winterfell was born a Tully. As for the Vale and Iron Islands – we are merely allies. We are not obliged to fight for Jon. _He_ has no army!"

"That is… unfortunate," Aegon sighed. "But in the long run, it changes nothing. I cannot fight against both sides at the same time. I can defeat Robert Baratheon and conquer King's Landing but not the North and its allies as well. I was hoping they would fight for me under my brother's command to regain the south more quickly but the main point always was to settle everything peacefully with them. Jon is my mean to that end."

"Have you not been listening? He has no authority in the North other than being Lord Stark's nephew. If you conquer south, we might turn a blind eye but there is no way we will ever bow to you, not again. Seven Kingdoms are no more! You may dream of being Aegon the Conqueror reborn but by the Drowned God, the Targaryens can never regain what Aerys destroyed for them!"

"Would you speak the same if it was my brother here in my stead?"

"_Your brother_ has more sense than this. He focuses on real threats rather than foolish dreams."

"What threats might that be? Dead men rising beyond the Wall?" Theon looked at him, wide-eyes but he only grinned arrogantly. "I know all about that, my friend. I could hold my attack until your allies weaken themselves fighting with wildlings they think are the White Walkers and then I can finish off both Baratheon and Stark. I am choosing not to," he continued, emphasizing his last sentence.

"Why?" Theon growled angrily. "If you know all this, why don't you finish us all? Go ahead, destroy all of Westeros to sit on the Iron Throne, and then you can be a King to death and ashes."

"For my brother's sake, of course. They are his family and I do not wish to destroy them, no matter our history."

"The northerners will never forget your history. They will never again bend a knee to a Targaryen and nor will the Iron Islands," Theon growled.

He stood up suddenly, giving Theon his hand to help him up as well. "I want to show you something."

Theon looked disdainfully at the offered hand and completely ignoring it, he stood up by himself. He followed supposed Aegon out of the tent and as soon as the rising sun touched his face, he covered his eyes in pain. He has not seen any light beside that from candles for so long. When his eyes adapted to sunlight, he looked around himself. When he has arrived, the entire camp was swarming with warriors, his tent being guarded by at least eight men but now, there were only three people at the entrance and one of them was a woman. The rest of the camp was mostly empty, the few who were left behind packing their belongings. Suddenly, the idea of running from his prison did not seem so unaccomplishable.

"What is going on?" Theon asked confusedly. "There were hundreds of warriors when I have arrived."

"Not ours, though," he replied.

"I do not understand. If they were not your warriors, why did they let you stay here?"

"There are many Khalasars and every one of them has a different Khal and Khaleesi. When Drogo died, it was rather messy for us with his former soldiers because she still carried Drogo's child. Thankfully, Mormont and I managed to protect her and get her to safety. My friends were very helpful in that regard," he grinned. "Her former Khalasar left with a new leader and we returned here to hide before we will be ready. Dany is only another widow of a Khal with few loyal servants and no one questions her presence here."

"It would seem you have no army after all," Theon snickered.

"I never wanted Dothraki to invade Westeros I told you that already."

They walked a relatively short distance in silence and then Aegon stopped in front of a large tent, turning to face Theon. "I told you that Drogo's death was probably the best thing that could have happened to me and you thought that it was because I was free to marry Daenerys. It is true, partly. Yet, something much more important came from his death. Something that will change all our lives," he smiled, opening the tent and gesturing for Theon to enter it.

They entered together and as Theon looked around, he realized Aegon led him to the tent where he met Daenerys for the first time.

"I still do not understand why you want Jon's support," Theon asked when he saw nothing of interest in the dim tent. Aegon walked on the other side of the tent, ignoring his question. "He will be of no use to you. You may think you share the same blood but you have not even met. He is not your brother, not really."

He turned, grinning at him. "The dragon must have three heads."

"Yeah," Theon breathed out annoyingly. "I do not know what that means."

"I would not expect you to," he replied, smiling and slowly pushed a curtain out of the way to reveal a large cage with three dragons in it.

-.-

"You have lost your mind," she screamed, her beautiful face red with anger. She was pacing in front of him while he sat in a comfortable chair with a cup filled with wine in hand, his expression nonchalant as he patiently waited for her to calm down. He knew very well by now that trying to reason with her in this state of mind is a complete waste of energy. "You had no right to do that."

"I had every right," he replied, drinking from his cup.

"Not without me knowing it."

"Since when am I bound to ask your permission?" he growled in response, his own anger growing at her words. "You would do well to remember that I am your King."

"You are nothing without me!" she yelled at him. "No one will take you for their King without me as your wife and you know it. Not even if you fly to Westeros on a back of a dragon."

He threw the cup across his tent angrily and stood up. Daenerys took one small step back but the fierce expression remained on her face. Sometimes, when Aegon's anger got the better of him, she could not help but to see Viserys in him. When he lost his temper in front of her for the first time, it was like a one sick déjà-vu and she was so afraid. So afraid that she will end up with yet another man who will treat her like Viserys did but then she remembered the promise she gave herself when she watched Drogo pour a cauldron filled with melted gold on his head – she will never again allow herself to be in such a situation where she would be forced to bend according to someone else's will, never again will she be someone's toy. She was determined to leave Aegon behind and make her own path but as soon as her nephew cooled down, they managed to talk things through and Dany was more than happy to forgive his little outburst because in the end, he was the one thing she had always wanted. He was her family.

They have spent many years together by now and she only ever knew him to be a very kind man but with some serious anger issues. And if she was to be honest, she had the same problem. Her only advantage was that she was much better at controlling herself after all the years that her brother demanded her submission. Neither one of them was violent during their disagreements but they both had sharp tongues that cut worse than razors.

"You always said that we are equals. That we are a team," she said in a much calmer tone as he started to pace around the tent in her stead. "That we are dragons and we answer to no one but ourselves, yet you act without even telling me what you are planning to do first."

He rubbed his face and stopped pacing. "I did not tell because I knew you would disagree," he sighed.

"We kept the dragons a secret ever since they have hatched and now you take a complete stranger to see them. Of course I would disagree."

"They will be too big in no time to be kept a secret so it makes no difference. We need his cooperation and I did what I had to do to gain it."

"We have talked about this, Aegon. We have the upper hand but only as long as your brother is in Winterfell and everyone's eyes are on him. We have the element of surprise whenever we decide to strike. Once we take the Iron Throne, then you can arrange a family reunion," she snickered a little, "but not before."

He gave her another angry look, the light from candles reflecting in his purple eyes. His dyed hair did a great job in covering his real eye color. When she met him, she was convinced his eyes were blue just as everyone else but once she looked into them thoroughly, she realized it was only an illusion. His eyes were purple, just like hers and just like Jon Targaryen's apparently.

"Why do you find it so strange that I want him with us? Why is it so difficult for you to accept him as your nephew when you have accepted me within a blink of an eye?"

Daenerys turned around so she did not have to face him. She picked the cup he threw a while ago and placed it on a large table and then sat down on a large chair. She felt Aegon's eyes on her as she moved around the tent and when she sat down, she finally looked at him again.

"I asked you a question," he said.

"And I chose not to answer it," she replied.

"I wish you would tell me," he said as he sat down in front of her. "I am trying to understand your dislike of him, I do, truly. Yet I cannot find a single reason why you would despise your own blood."

"I have told you many times and so did that Kraken you are such a friend with now. He is the rightful King in everyone's eyes and as long as he is around, no one will accept you. No one will accept us as the King and the Queen."

"That is not a reason to hate someone."

"I do not hate him," Daenerys snorted. "I only see him for what he is, an obstacle."

Aegon frowned as he studied her face and Daenerys rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I cannot tell when you are lying?"

"I am not…"

"Tell me the truth."

"Aegon…"

"Why, Dany?"

"Because he has everything," she screamed suddenly. "I do not despise him, I do not hate him," she said in a husky voice. "I am jealous of him, Aegon. He always had what I craved for my entire life. He had everything while we had nothing. Our family was murdered in cold blood and we were cast aside to beg for a scrap of food but the Starks took _him_ as one of their own and he got to grew up in a castle where everything was given to him on a golden plate, surrounded by his family. Did the Martells do the same for you? Did anyone do the same for either of us?"

"I feel the same," Aegon replied in a soothing tone, taking her hand in his. "Sometimes I feel like I am going to burst with jealousy but we cannot dwell on that."

Daenerys quickly wiped off a single tear that escaped her eyes and smiled sadly at him. "You cannot feel the same," she said quietly. "At least you had Jon Connington. All _I_ had was…"

"Viserys," Aegon finished for her. "I am so sorry," he mumbled, kissing her hand gently. "I am so sorry for what he put you through."

"I do not like it," she said. "I do not like feeling like this but I cannot help it."

"I do not blame you, no one would."

"I blame myself," she whispered. "Viserys left me with a lot of scars but I am grateful for them in fact. I am grateful he was such a bastard because if he was not, I would never be as strong as I am now. He made me into who I am today. Gods, I am the Mother of Dragons," she laughed incredulously. Sometimes, they both still had troubles to actually believe that dragons were back in this world. "I am proud of who I am and what I have achieved but sometimes… Sometimes, I just want to be the little princess living in King's Landing as I was meant to. Sometimes, I wish life was that simple." She paused for a little while and then, she snorted. "It only makes me angry, really. Thinking of what could have been."

Aegon chuckled, smiling and squeezing her hand. "I know the feeling."

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**Author's Note**: Please, please, please, let me know what you think :) . And again GIANT THANKS FOR READING.


	24. Alliances in Danger

Hello :)

and happy new year :) (better late than never, right? :D)

And again, so so so sorry for making you wait this long (I've had a shitload of exams before Christmas and in January (again :D) and when I had some free time my mind was completely frozen)

Anyway, ENJOY :)

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CHAPTER 24 – ALLIANCES IN DANGER

It was beginning to be very annoying. Wherever he went, there always was someone who would measure him with suspicious look. As if he gave a single fuck about low born people in Winterfell or even the visiting lords passing through. He could very well see the question in everyone eyes – how come he still lived? Why didn't the Starks cut his head off yet? To keep your head on your shoulders seemed to be almost an unachievable task when the northerners thought you tried to kill one of their own. The Young Wolf had his hands full with trying to keep him alive ever since he tried to kill him himself. It was obvious that the northern lords respected him quite a bit but they seemed hesitant to take orders from him, especially when the order was to leave The Red Viper alone. Thankfully, Ned Stark seemed to get better with each day and Oberyn hoped that once he will be strong enough to take his rightful place again he will manage to tame his bannerman much better than his son. Until then though, Oberyn did his best to stay out of the way. He knew well enough not to poke an angry beast. Besides, not to be seen suited him best since he was trying to find out who was the real culprit.

His investigation was a complete dead end so far which was more than frustrating. He was used to always knowing something more than those around him but this time he was the one in the dark while someone else mocked him by trying to get him executed. Oberyn made a mental note to himself to make sure that he will show in full extent the price for an attempt on the life of a Prince of Dorne to that person as soon as he finds him or her.

He heard a howl and as he looked around he noticed a full moon peeking through the tall trees in Winterfell's Godswood. He could not remember hearing the wolves howl much since he arrived but every time he heard it his blood froze in his veins for a while. He still vividly remembered how one of the Stark girls clenched to her wolf's fur, ready to unleash her upon him on the night when her father almost died as her brother beat the crap out of him.

He walked few more steps, listening to the crunching of his feet on the freshly fallen snow. It was well past midnight and when he could not fall asleep, he decided to go for a walk. He actually enjoyed the scenery in Winterfell much more than he expected, especially in the middle of the night when there were no annoying people doing their daily business with much more noise than was necessary, at least in Oberyn's opinion. It was so much different here from anything else he has ever seen and he has seen quite a few places in the world.

He just passed a small gate that lead to the Godswood when he thought he heard something. He stopped suddenly, focusing on any sound that did not belong in the night.

"We don't want those bloody wolves surprising us, do we?" a male voice said and in a few moments Oberyn heard the gate to Godswood opening and closing. He leaned against a stone wall, trying not to be seen.

"I have nothing more to discuss with you," another, much older voice said, harsh and cold. "Just see it done."

"It's nearly impossible, I told you that already. That bitch of his never leaves his side," the first man replied, sounding more than desperate.

"Then kill them both," the other growled and started to walk away.

Oberyn tried to catch a glimpse of their faces without exposing himself but the light from the moon was not intense enough for him to see anything beyond two men figures with hoods over their heads. One of them walked completely away from him but the other started to walk towards him. Oberyn crouched in the shadow of the stone wall, waiting quietly as the man passed him without even suspecting anyone to be there as well. He watched his retrieving back until he entered the inside of the castle through the door that was designed for the servants. The gate from the castle leading to Winter Town was closed early in the evening which meant the other man must be living in Winterfell as well and judging from the way he took, Oberyn was certain he headed for the main entrance to the castle. That meant he was either a guard, a member of the family or a visiting lord. Oberyn would put all his money on a visiting lord.

There was not a single doubt in his head that they were talking about Ned Stark and his wife. They were the ones he was looking for for so long now, they were the ones responsible. He entertained a thought of following the younger man who went to the servant's quarters but thought better of it. He did not want to let him know he has heard them. He remembered their voices well enough to recognize them in the light of day. And once he will locate him, the fun will begin.

-.-

He was bored out of his mind. It was always torture for him when he was bound to stay in bed for one reason or another ever since he could remember. He slept for several days, he was told but now he was awake and felt just fine. Why could not anyone see that no matter how many times he repeated it? He was dangerously close to begging Catelyn and Maester Luwin to let him get out and continue on with his life.

"Stop sighing all the time," Catelyn growled a bit angrily, looking up from her book. He felt a sting of shame every time he looked at her face since he woke up. Apparently, he had very high fevers the first few days and was completely out of his mind but he still had some vague memories and they all included his wife. He could remember her soft hand running through his hair or just squeezing his own. He could remember her quiet words of love spoken ever so softly. But most vivid memory was of her tears and he hated himself for being the cause again. He was the reason for countless tears over all years they have been together. When he opened his eyes, her face looked so tired from the lack of sleep and her eyes were still a bit red and puffy and he felt so guilty for putting her through this but as soon as their eyes met, she beamed at him, embracing him almost instantly and after a long time, he felt happy again.

He was never sure what he did to earn the love of this wonderful woman but he was ever so glad he did. They have been happy together, even including their first months of living together after he returned from the war despite the initial awkwardness between them. Lately though, they have been fighting more often than not and he started to fear that perhaps his wife has grown tired of him after all these years, as he always suspected she would eventually. But his strong and beautiful Catelyn still loved him and he felt like a stupid, ungrateful fool for ever doubting her.

"I would if you would just let me out of this room," he mumbled under his beard, pouting his lips like their children used to do when they were younger.

"And here I was, thinking I have six children to take care of, not seven," she reprimanded him with a stern look but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

Ned chuckled. "Our children hardly need either of us anymore," he sighed.

"That's true," she answered, putting her book aside and stood up from her chair to sit down right next to him on his bed. "At least you still need me," she smiled, cupping his cheek.

He returned her smile and kissed her hand. "That I do, my love," he grinned before sliding his hand behind her neck to pull her into a kiss.

He sighed contently as she pulled away from him and placed her head at the crook of his neck. He wrapped his hand around her back and pulled her even closer to him. It seemed to him as an eternity has passed since he last held her like this and even though he knew most of their fights were far from over, either those they had amongst themselves or those against others, he was certain that as long as her heart belonged to him, he could stand anything.

"Where did we end up with that Sansa business?" Catelyn asked quietly, stroking his chest.

"Don't," Ned whimpered. "I was just thinking how wonderful it is not to fight with you."

Catelyn laughed and kissed his neck slowly. "I do not want to fight, Ned. I know I am the one in the wrong in this particular fight because I never actually let you explain all your reasons." Ned was silent and when she raised her head to look at him, he looked way too smug. "What are you grinning about?" she asked suspiciously.

"Show me a man who will not grin when his wife admits she is wrong," he replied, still smiling.

Catelyn laughed, smacking his shoulder playfully before laying her head back on his shoulder. "Oh, shut up you," she muttered.

Ned chuckled good-naturedly and placed a soft kiss on her temple. Catelyn was not stupid. He was certain she knew very well why he did not consent to Domeric's proposal but she was blinded by her fondness towards him. It killed Ned to see their eldest girl so heart-broken, because of her own father no less, but he knew for a fact that he can never be certain about any Bolton, no matter that he was fond of that young man just as his wife was. He still remembered how the previous maester of their castle made him and Brandon memorize every uprising the Boltons have led against the Starks and every atrocity committed on any ruler of the North and how his father always urged his older brother to beware of the masters of Dreadfort when he will become the Lord of Winterfell. Ned took his father's advice to heart. He kept Roose Bolton close to him, even agreeing to foster his only son for some time in his home, to make sure he behaved but never actually giving him any important information or position that could be used against him. But the truth was that Roose Bolton never gave him any reason to doubt him or mistrust him and in the moment Domeric asked for his daughter's hand in marriage, he had no other reason to refuse than the old words of warning his father said so many years ago. When he really thought it through, it actually seemed very silly. Of course, the Boltons were a handful and an ever present pain in the foot for many Kings of Winter but the Starks themselves were hardly saints. His ancestors did their own fair share of atrocities and bad decisions, and yet, no one ever seemed to hold past sins against Ned's family.

Rationally speaking, it was all very silly but Ned knew in his guts that he was doing the right thing.

"Enter," his wife's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked confusedly at her but when the door opened and a guard came into the room, he realized he must have missed a knock on the door.

"Domeric Bolton is asking to see you, m'lord," he announced. "Should I let him in?"

Speaking of the devil, Ned thought tiredly. Catelyn stood up to return on her chair and to her book with stoic expression. Ned sighed, missing her warmth as soon as she left his side.

"Bloody intruders. I just want to be left alone with my wife for a while, is that so much to ask?" he mumbled. Catelyn turned back at him, flashing him a soft smile. This was starting to be a regular occurrence. Ned could not even count how many of his lords had already come to see him since he was poisoned. It was nice of them, of course, but he was getting rather tired of all those visits. He was used to seeing so many of them only during special circumstances, not when he was lying in bed as an old useless man. He sat up properly in his bed to look as presentably as he could. "Let him in," he nodded to the guard and as the man left, Domeric Bolton entered his chambers.

"Lord Stark," he bowed to him almost instantly and as he noticed Catelyn sitting not far from him, he smiled and went to kiss her hand. "Lady Stark." Ned could not see Domeric's face as he kissed his wife's hand but he could very clearly see the warm smile Cat gave him. She was never shy with her smiles which was a part of her charm but Ned prided himself with knowing which of her smiles were only from courtesy and which were genuine. The smile she gave Domeric was truly genuine. "I am ever so glad you are all right, my lord," the young heir of Dreadfort said as he turned back at Ned.

"Thank you," Ned nodded at his words.

"When did you arrive?" Catelyn asked to fill the awkward silence that spread between them.

"Last night," Domeric answered, smiling again. "I have arrived just in time for dinner and I did not want to disturb you afterwards." He paused for a while. "My father came with me and I think he would like to see you as well."

"Does he?" Ned replied. This was unexpected.

"I would not be here if not for him. He insisted we both should pay respects to our Lord in such difficult times."

"How kind of him," Catelyn replied.

"I am glad, in a way," Domeric smiled uncomfortably. "I was hoping I would have a chance to speak to you again soon."

"Why would that be?"

"You know why, Lord Stark," Domeric replied.

Ned sighed quietly, rubbing his face with one of his hands. "Domeric, I told you…"

"I know what you said… and I know what I said." Domeric paused before chuckling humorlessly. "I can recall our last conversation in every possible detail. It is carved into my brain… and I just…" He looked at the carpet under his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to another and as he took a deep breath, he looked straight into Ned's eyes. "I love her," he said simply. "I know I may not be the perfect match for your daughter and that it would make much more sense for her to marry into the Vale or the Iron Islands but she will not be happy there… She _will_ be happy with me and I think you know that."

"We do know that," Catelyn said when she realized Ned was not going to reply. Domeric turned his eyes on her and gave a grateful and somewhat nervous smile.

"This was never about happiness," Ned said at last. Both Catelyn and Domeric looked at him. He could say his wife disagreed with him but she said nothing. They were both very well aware of the fact that people of their position rarely ever found any kind of love in marriage. The two of them married only after few hours after meeting each other because their marriage benefitted both sides and no one could care less about whether they even liked each other or not. They were fortunate than most, true, because they found love in each other after some time but it was not for free. They have both worked hard on their relationship. They have both tried and in the end, they have succeeded in building a genuine and happy marriage. He did not want that for his children. He did not want any of them to marry a complete stranger in hopes that perhaps one day they might fall in love. They were so much more than simple political leverages to him but how on earth could he ever manage to keep his only recently established kingdom together if he would put his children's interests above anything else. Robb understood this and that was why he had asked Lilian to marry him without so much as a single complaint but he was not sure his younger children shared their older brother's view.

"Do you want me to beg, my Lord?" Domeric asked suddenly, his voice a harmony of anger and despair.

Ned closed his eyes, hoping he will not live to regret his decision. "I have no desire to see you beg for anything, Domeric, but as I have said before, my decision is final."

-.-

He knocked slightly on a large wooden door and waited until he heard an invitation to enter. The room looked exactly the same way as he remembered it; the only thing that was different was the man sitting behind the large table in the middle of the room. Robb had his head folded in his hands, not even acknowledging Jon as he sat down on a chair opposite of him. If he did not invite him in, Jon would think he did not even know he was here.

"What is it?" Jon asked carefully. He knew something was wrong as soon as one of the servants came to him on the training yard, telling him that Lord Robb requested his presence in the solar. Robb never sent anyone when he needed something, he always came himself. "What?" he asked when he heard his cousin mumbling something into his hands.

Robb rubbed his face before putting his hands away. "I said we screwed up."

"What do you mean?" Jon asked, smiling involuntarily. It sounded strange to hear him curse.

"I just received a raven from Pyke," he said, picking up a piece of parchment from the table and waved with it. "Theon is missing."

"What?"

"He disappeared in Essos," Robb explained further. "Balon sent most of his ships in search for him and he is asking us to do the same."

"But wh…how…," Jon stuttered. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before speaking again. "No one ever knows where Theon is once he gets on board of his ship and then he just appears out of nowhere. Why would King Balon assume he is missing?"

Robb sighed, looking at his cousin. "Princess Asha came across his crew on her journeys… Apparently, their captain decided to visit the Dothraki Sea and left them at the port. When he did not come back after a couple of days, they took his ship and decided to go on pillaging on their own."

"The Dothraki Sea?" Jon repeated, closing his eyes.

"Yes," Robb nodded. "It gets worse."

"What can possibly be worse than this?" Jon growled.

"I will tell you cousin," Robb replied in same tone. "The fact that the two of us are the ones who sent him there." He handed him the letter before continuing. "Balon is asking if we do not know why he has decided to go so far from seas… and we do know that very well!"

"You want to blame me? Is that it?" Jon barked out. "You want to say that you were right all along. That I was stupid to seek the rest of my family." He paused, desperately rubbing his face. "That I have most likely killed him," he added almost silently.

"You _were_ stupid and I was no better… for I allowed it."

Jon knew Robb was watching him but he was unable to look into his cousin's eyes. Did he really get one of his best friends killed because of his insatiable desire to know everything there is to know about his father's family? Jon closed his eyes once again.

_Please be alive, Theon. How could I ever live with myself if you died_? He kept asking himself.

"I am as much to blame as you are, Jon," Robb said after a long while of silence. "The raven just flew in and I did not tell anything to anyone yet. Not even father."

"What are you proposing we do?" Jon asked.

"If Balon ever finds out, our alliance is over," Robb stated simply. "And if father ever finds out, he will feel obliged to tell Balon the truth."

"You called me here to make sure I will be quiet?" Jon snorted.

"What else would you suggest?" Robb suddenly screamed out.

"I do not know," Jon screamed back. "But we cannot keep it from our Lord."

"I cannot cost him his most important alliance," Robb breathed out desperately. Jon looked into his cousin's blue eyes. They both always knew what the other was thinking ever since they were children. _I cannot fail him like this_, was what Robb left unsaid.

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Author's Note: Please, let me know what you think :)... and again, thank you very much for reading :)


	25. Difficult Times

Hello :)

I can't really say how sorry I am for making you wait so long... I won't offer any excuses because there aren't any.

I can only say SORRY and hope you will still enojy it! :)

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CHAPTER 25 – DIFFICULT TIMES

There were tents all around Winterfell's walls. A large camp where soldiers lived, trying to enjoy life to its fullest until their lords told them to march against an enemy they usually knew nothing about. He still remembered how magnificent their camp around Winterfell looked when they were preparing to march south to meet with Robert and his troops. There were thousands of men ready to march at a moment notice and even more waited to join them on their way south. While their current camp looked also impressive, it could hardly be described as magnificent. Last time they marched, almost every northern man was marching with them, save the few that were ordered to protect their lands against invaders. Now, most men were set to protect the North from any and all threats and those few thousands that were ready outside of Winterfell were to march north instead of south soon.

Arthur stood at the top of the inner wall in Winterfell, watching the camp with a small smile on his lips. This was what he was born for. Peace was a good thing but for a knight as skilled and capable as he was, it could get a little boring. He might not be as young as before but he was certain he will still stand above others in matter of sword fighting and leading soldiers to battle.

He turned around to look at the courtyard. It was even busier than usually, with everyone preparing provisions for the army that was supposed to leave within days.

Arthur noticed him then. He stood right in the middle of the courtyard, barking orders. His hair were washed and combed, his beard trimmed and his armor with a giant direwolf across the chest polished; only a furred cloak and the glorious Valyrian steel sword Ice at his belt were missing in the perfect Lord of Winterfell image. Even with all the chaos around them and knowing what lay ahead, it was good to see him standing again.

Arthur knew he feared his men would never again respect him as they used to after they saw him bedridden and weak and so he pushed himself out of bed as soon as possible, despite objections from his maester and family. In fact, Arthur feared the same. He feared that every time he will look at Ned, he will not see the strong man he knew but the poor, ill and old looking imitation of his friend that was destroyed by poison. He was never happier to be wrong. The Lord of Winterfell was hardly in his full strength but that did not mean he could not look like he was.

He noticed his little sister walking towards him and all thoughts of Ned were gone. He knew it was unlikely she would still be in Winterfell when he returned, if he will even return, and so he decided to put all of their disagreements aside and give her the brother she remembered and needed. After all, he missed his old self as well.

"I heard you will be leaving any day now," she said, raising her head so that she could see into his eyes.

Arthur nodded. "We are only waiting for the men from Barrowton. They should be here soon and then we set off."

Ashara followed his gaze as he looked back on the horizon filled with white tents. "I have never actually seen a war camp, even after all the wars that has happened during my lifetime. Strange, is it not?"

"Strange indeed," he replied with a small smile. "What of you? I doubt Oberyn will want to stay much longer."

"I actually have no idea," she said. "I only know that Prince Oberyn is absolutely obsessed with finding out who tried to frame him for Ned Stark's murder."

Arthur restrained himself from saying if he really was framed, knowing it would only spark another disagreement between him and his sister. "You want to leave already, yes?"

She looked him in the eyes again before nodding slightly. "Aye, I do. I miss my daughter; I miss Aaron and his children. I miss Dorne and I miss warm sun."

"I am sorry I disappointed you, sister," he said suddenly. "I know you expected to find someone else here."

"I found exactly who I expected to find, Arthur," she replied. "Only a little bit different," she added, cupping his cheek with a soft smile.

"I love you, sister," he whispered, taking her hand and kissing it. "And I am glad I got to see you again before I die."

"We will see each other again. I have no doubt about it."

"Oh? How can you be so certain? I do not see you travelling north again."

"Then maybe you will travel south," she grinned."Would you not like to see Dorne again after so long?"

He smiled, remembering the hot sand beneath his feet, the sound of flowing water below his father's castle, the joyous screams coming from the Water Gardens where they used to play as children, the glowing sun during noon, deadlier than any animal living hidden in those sands. Memories from another life. "Aye, I would," he admitted, "but that is not up to me. I accepted long time ago I will most likely die in the North."

"Arthur, I…" she started but stopped herself almost instantly. Arthur looked at her curiously, waiting for her to continue. "There is something you should know," she said after a long while of silence. "Something is about to happen, do not ask me what, I do not know myself, but I know that the Martells are up to something… They will not tolerate Robert Baratheon on the Iron Throne much longer. I am not sure if they want to sit your prince there or someone else but they will revolt soon. Dorne is preparing for war."

"Why are you telling me now?" he asked. "If you wanted me to know this, you would have told me long ago."

"I wanted to tell you but… I do not know. It just did not feel right but still… you should know."

"It makes no difference. Whatever have the Martells planned, the Stark, Tully and Arryn alliance will not get involved. They will leave the south to its own devices; they had made that very clear."

"Perhaps they will have no choice. What will they do if Jon Targaryen decides he wants his father's throne?"

"He will _not_," Arthur replied with certainty he did not feel. He noticed Jon was spending more and more time with the Red Viper, distancing himself from the people who loved and knew him best. He could not say what made him behave like this but he did not like it. There was no way of knowing what ideas Oberyn might put inside his head.

"Hypothetically, Arthur," Ashara sighed. "What would they do?"

"I could not say," Arthur replied after a while and then he smiled. "Enough of them already. This may be the last time we see each other. Westeros can wait. I want to talk about my sister and my brother," he said with a light tone, making Ashara grin. "And about my lovely nieces and nephew."

-.-

It seemed like days passed within a single blink of an eye. One moment he was in his bed being awakened by maester Luwin with a letter carrying grave words and just a few moments later, he sat atop his steed and watched the great ice structure that always left him breathless. It took months for them to get there, of course, but it did not seem that long to Robb.

They knew for a long time that there will come a day when they will have to march to the Wall to deal with all the threats that awaited them beyond the Wall but it still came as a bit of surprise. His father was recovering and Robb was still the acting Lord of Winterfell when the raven from the Night's Watch came. Lord Commander Mormont was butchered beyond the Wall by his own men and Mance Raider marched south to conquer the Wall with thousands of wildlings at his back. The North had to act and they had to act quickly.

His father forced himself out of bed way too soon to Robb's liking and called his banners straight away to protect what Bran the Builder built to keep the realms of Westeros safe. As soon as it as possible, five thousand northerners arrived to protect the Wall against tens of thousands and when they did, they found the Night's Watch in a pathetic state with their gate almost ruined and morale almost nonexistent.

Despite all of their effort, the Night's Watch had just enough men to keep the three castles working but no more and lately, rangers were more often lost in the woods than not and because of constant raids by wildlings, young and old men alike died, leaving the Wall defended only by few men.

They established a base and his father let Robb guard the gate with a thousand men and the rest of the Night's Watch while he took the rest of their men to Eastwatch by the Sea where he would sail beyond the Wall to flank the enemy and destroy them once and for all.

They had protected the Wall day after day, night after night and with each passing battle, it was harder to make the wildlings retreat. Robb hoped his father with the rest of their forces would have arrived already but the horizon was still only filled with wildlings, not a single northerner in sight. None of them slept very much and it was beginning to show in their performance.

It was hardly longer than an hour since wildlings retreated back to their camp and even though he craved for sleep, he knew it would not come even if he tried. There was too much on his mind for him to sleep, despite his tiredness.

He put another mouthful of a soup that was served to him and he almost failed to suppress a shudder. He was used to much better food. He looked at the empty seat next to him and despite being in a room filled with men, he felt alone. Jon was with him through it all but he only ever talked on war meetings or he was whispering with his Targaryen uncle. Robb supposed he was feeling guilty about Theon but there was little they could do now. He wished they could both set off and find their missing friend but there were more pressing matters and more important responsibilities. He did not have much time to ponder about his cousin but in quiet moments like this one, he wished him by his side to lift almost broken spirit.

He looked at Grey Wind who was lying right behind his chair, quietly resting. He was rather surprised to feel only him and not his brother as well. Bran was continually entering Grey Wind's mind to find out what was happening at the Wall and it kept his wolf on edge. Grey Wind was agitated by Bran's constant present in his mind and Robb wanted to scold Bran more than once for not letting his wolf alone but he always held back. He understood all too well how his brother felt. He wanted to come to the Wall as well and he wanted to protect their people and lands but there was no way father would ever let him come. After all, he was still a child, no matter how gifted. Bran begged their father day after day, just as Arya did, but both stayed in the safety of their home in the end.

Chair next to him screeched and the old maester Aemon sat beside him with his young, fat steward whispering something into his ear. He nodded and the younger man stepped aside.

"Lord Stark," he said quietly, nodding his head.

"Maester Aemon," he greeted in return, putting aside his soup and taking a big sip of his wine. "Will there be another election today?" he asked politely.

Maester Aemon nodded, "Until we choose a new Lord Commander, election must be held every day."

Robb did his best not to turn his eyes, even thought the older man could not see him. It was a tenth day in a row and they still have not chosen a Lord Commander. Robb understood that finding a replacement for Jeor Mormont must have been difficult but it was getting annoying all the same. He needed a Lord Commander to work out provisions for his men and Alliser Thorne, who served as an acting commander, was more than unpleasant to deal with. "I wish you best of luck. It is about time the Night's Watch got a true Lord Commander," he said. "Especially when we are constantly under attack."

"It is better to take some time than to rush such a decision, my lord," he replied. "Tell me, my lord, have you spoken to your cousin lately?" he asked suddenly.

Robb only shook his head. "Not outside of war councils. Why do you ask?"

"It seems to me," maester Aemon said before pausing to take a deep breath, "that his mind is very troubled for a young man. Who can be better to confide to than the man he considers a brother?"

"I am not sure how I can help him, maester. Our good friend went missing and we all need to come to terms with it."

"Are you sure that is all that troubles him?"

"I do not know. My cousin does not confide to me, maester."

Maester Aemon only nodded, seeming a bit disappointed. He turned his attention to a plate that was put before him by his steward, Samwell Tarly. Robb looked at the young man briefly, remembering Jon felt great deal of pity for him ever since they saw him being bullied several years ago by other brothers of the Night's Watch. Jon made sure Maester Aemon took him under his wing before they left and it seemed to have done good to the man. He looked less frighten, less vulnerable. It was not often that the south sent men to the Wall and the Night's Watch was grateful for every single southerner sent their way, no matter how seemingly insignificant. From what Robb heard from Maester Aemon and some of the more sensible brothers, Samwell Tarly has done a good job so far despite the low expectations everyone had for him.

The door opened and Jon rushed inside. "Your father is in position," he said. "Wildling camp is on fire and they are fleeing in all possible directions."

Robb felt relief wash over him at hearing his words. "At last," he smiled.

Jon nodded. "The Wall is safe," he said.

-.-

Ned never actually remembered any of all the battles he ever fought in. He knew how each of them started, he knew how each of them ended, he knew he fought and he always knew he managed to survive somehow but whenever he tried to think about details, he was unable to say for sure. How many men has he killed? How many men has he wounded? How was he wounded? How many men have tried to kill him? His body was covered with different kinds of scars gained throughout his life and he could always say in which battle he acquired it but never how.

Ned led a large force beyond the Wall to surprise the wildling army and destroy them as quickly and as effectively as possible and even though most of the wildlings have scattered during the battle, they have managed to either kill or capture most of their leaders, especially Mance Raider. The wildlings must have realized the Night's Watch received help from the northern lords when their defenses turned from almost none to unbreachable but they did not expect to be attacked from their flanks. During the few days the men of the Night's Watch had to defend the Wall against them all by themselves, the wildings almost destroyed them. If the northern army had not arrived when they did, the gate would be destroyed and the Night's Watch would lie in ruins, trampled over by tens of thousands of wildlings.

He rode on his horse and he felt blood trailing down his cheek from an injury that was supposed to be a killing blow if not for his best friend and most trusted lord. Howland rode on a horse right next to him with a bored look on his face as they travelled south once again to reach the Wall with Mance Raider and a part of his army taken prisoners. He was covered with blood just as Ned but none of the blood was his. Ned wanted Howland and his men to be at the Neck with all their force in case the Iron Throne would somehow hear about their troubles at the Wall and once again decided to attack borders in Riverlands but Howland still arrived in Winterfell with a handful of men just as his army was about to march north. He left most of his forces in Moat Cailin and around all of the Neck under his daughter's command in case the young Lord of Riverrun would need their aid but he and few of his best archers has arrived to help him deal with the wildlings for which Ned was grateful. Not only did he have some of the best archers in the North but he got to see his old friend and fight beside him once again.

"You do not believe it, do you?" Howland asked suddenly.

"What?" Ned asked, wiping some of the blood from his cheek. The wound he suffered was only a superficial cut across his left temple thanks to Howland but it still bled enough to be annoying and he was certain it will leave a scar.

"What he talked about," he said, nodding towards the man who called himself the King beyond the Wall and who was now chained to a horse and led to the Wall where he would face his judgment. "Dead men rising and such."

"I have seen it. I even wrote you about it."

"If I recall correctly, you wrote you are not sure what you have seen."

"No," Ned agreed. "That I am not. I only know I saw a dead ranger and then I saw his body walking again until he was burned."

"What happened exactly?" Howland asked.

Ned blinked several times, watching the great ice structure that towered above them as they were nearing it. He did not like to talk or even think about his last visit to the Wall. Lord Commander Mormont warned him over and over again and Ned almost started to think he went mad. White Walkers have been gone for thousands of years and Ned could not bring himself to believe they would return, or maybe he did not want to. Until he saw that ranger with dead blue eyes walk and kill everything in his path.

"It was just a normal visit. We brought new provisions and weapons and few men. Mormont kept convincing me the White Walkers came back and I kept thinking that his brain froze over from all the cold… Rangers came back on the eve before we were to leave, carrying one fallen brother. He was to be burned the very next day… I could not sleep and I heard noise down in the courtyard… Robb and Jon slept in the next room and their wolves started to howl like their lives depended on it… I am used to direwolf howling but this was different… Ghost never howls, the others yes but never Ghost and yet on that night, Jon could not quiet him… I went to see what was wrong with them and as soon as I opened the door they ran… they led us straight to him and… Gods, I have never seen anything like it before…I know it is hard to believe. As I said I did not believe a single word, I did not believe Mormont; I did not even believe Benjen until I saw it with my own eyes… Three men fell before he was taken down and I… I am not sure what it was or how it came to life but I know it cannot be good for us."

"No," Howland agreed, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Not once in history has every wildling united under one cause. Few of them, yes, but never has every clan, every wildling beyond the Wall joined with one man. Benjen always said that they are proud to call themselves the Free Folk and that they love their lands, cold as they may be, yet they want to run, they want to hide. What could have frightened them so? What else than White Walkers could be so terrifying to make them flee? These men are no cowards."

Howland looked at him with a face so solemn that he almost feared his friend has forgotten how to smile. "How do you propose with deal with such a crisis?"

He felt relieve wash over him, knowing Howland believed his word and has taken him seriously. "I have absolutely no idea," he sighed. "But we cannot fail."

They were quiet for the rest of their ride to and through the Wall, both thinking about what was said and what future might hold for them.

Once they arrived to Castle Black, Ned was glad to see his son safe and sound after defending the Wall for a long time on his own. The Young Wolf, as the northerners called him, proved his worth with each passing day and with each passing day, Ned felt his pride grow beyond mere words. He knew he would sacrifice thousand lives if he but had them to provide safe future for his children.

He left the imprisoning of captured wildlings to his soldiers and went to greet his firstborn. Even as he walked towards him, he could say something was wrong after all. Robb went to meet him at a slow pace and he was whiter than the snow falling on them.

"What is it?" Ned asked as soon as he knew Robb could hear him.

"Jon," Robb replied simply, looking at his father with guilt. "He is gone."

.

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**Author's Note: **Please, let me know what you think :) ... just go easy on me because I haven't actually done much writing since January, so I'm even more nervous than I was when I published my first chapter :)

and once again, I'm very, very, very sorry for taking so long


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